ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. September 11, 2007 -- In April, Schiele Graphics installed the second Mitsubishi Diamond series sheetfed press equipped with SimulChanger. John Schiele, president of the 61-year-old commercial sheetfed and web printer, was so impressed with Mitsubishi's automated system for changing plates on all the printing units in one simultaneous operation, that his company will install an identical press in September.
"We looked at several different presses from Mitsubishi, Komori, MAN Roland and Heidelberg," Schiele recalled. "After seeing some presses installed and doing some live demonstrations, we felt the Mitsubishi Diamond 3000LS was the perfect press for us. We've traditionally been a MAN Roland house, but buying the Mitsubishi was an easy decision."
Schiele Graphics purchased the six-color, 40-inch presses with tower coaters as part of a reorganization designed to consolidate three previous manufacturing sites into two locations. When completed, the press installations will replace several older machines with faster, more highly automated equipment.
"We believe that, with their increased running speeds of 16,000 sheets per hour and the advanced technology, the two Mitsubishi presses will handle all the work of the other presses combined," Schiele said. "It is more of an expansion of equipment capabilities than a replacement."
Schiele Graphics prides itself on being the most comprehensive single-source supplier of graphic arts in the Chicago area. It prints one billion sheetfed and web pieces annually, including point-of-purchase materials, sales and marketing collateral, and direct mail.
The 190-employee company prints as few as 500 sheets and as many as 100,000 sheets. Jobs are typically printed on 12-point up to 24-point stock.
"The Diamond 3000LS with the SimulChanger has probably been the best press I've ever bought," Schiele said. "We've experienced tremendous uptime. Being able to change six plates in just over a minute in this day and age, especially with the domestic and overseas competition, is making all the difference in the world. We can produce two or three more jobs a day with fewer waste sheets. I'm excited about getting the two presses up and running together."
To see a live demonstration of the SimulChanger operating on an eight-color Diamond 3000LS press, visit the Mitsubishi booth (#617) at Graph Expo 2007, September 9-12 at McCormick Place in Chicago.