KENNESAW, Ga. – April 24, 2007 -- When Franklin Printing, a general commercial printer located in Farmington, Maine, recently installed a highly automated Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 350 6-pocket saddlestitcher, it opted for intelligent control, operator-friendliness, quality and reliability. The new stitcher, which replaces an older competitive model, boasts central graphical touch-screen control on every unit, automatic synchronization of saddle chain with feeders and stitcher, and Prinect connectivity. The result is a machine with specifications that enable the company to accommodate the larger-format work it previously had to turn away. Franklin President and Owner Greg Nemi said he “chose the Stitchmaster ST 350 to be able to take those jobs in-house.” The Stitchmaster includes a cover feeder, RIMA System stacker and Fenimore punch. Franklin’s bindery also hosts a pair of POLAR 115 ED programmable cutters with Auto-cut, jogger, scale and Transomat off-loader; two Stahlfolder T 36 folders, and a pair of Heidelberg cylinder letterpresses, used for die cutting and scoring. Of the installation, Nemi says, “Heidelberg didn’t cut corners. They took the time to do it right. As a result, not only is the machine performing beautifully at 12,500 cycles per hour right now, but we expect it will continue to perform that way down the road.” With 55 employees, 40-year-old Franklin Printing serves a regional clientele. UAB Gives Lessons in Bindery Speed, Results with Stitchmaster ST 90 Saddlestitcher A world-renowned research university and healthcare center located in Birmingham, Ala., the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the single largest employer in the state. Just as impressive is UAB’s Printing Services division, attending to more than 17,000 students’ and 18,600 faculty and staff’s printing needs. UAB Printing Services provides business materials for both the university and hospital, and keeping that work - from design services to a full range of bindery services - in-house is imperative for achieving the quickest turnaround. UAB Printing Services recently added to its bindery, with the installation of a Stitchmaster ST 90 saddlestitcher from Heidelberg in December 2006. Not only is the Stitchmaster ST 90 faster than the stitcher that UAB was previously using, but the trimming is much more precise. “The ST 90 finishes much more smoothly, especially in trimming,” said Bindery Manager Bruce Horne. “We recently ran a job at full speed, and the quality was excellent,” Horne said. The Stitchmaster ST 90 can run at speed ranges from 1,500 up to 9,000 cycles per hour. In UAB’s postpress environment, where the printing shop produces books, magazines, booklets, invitations, labels, posters and maps, the Stitchmaster ST 90 offers the perfect solution for shorter run lengths and quick turnaround times.