Kennesaw, Ga. – Dome Printing, a high-end, full-service commercial web- and sheetfed printer located in Sacramento, Calif., has announced the purchase of two Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 450 professional saddlestitchers. Installation will commence in June.

"Our aim was to be better able to meet client expectations by taking less time to do more work," said Plant Manager Dave Baker. "We're expecting the new saddlestitchers to help us strike that balance." 

Flexibility Is Key
According to Chief Operating Officer Andy Poole, Dome was looking for a highly productive yet flexible high-speed saddlestitching solution that would enable it to address frequently changing format and run length requirements without incurring needless delays during makereadies and changeovers.

"We handle a great many long runs and a lot of short runs, but not much in between," Poole said. "It's important for us to be able to switch easily from one job to another while maximizing our machine uptime. One of the reasons we chose the ST 450 saddlestitcher is the built-in flexibility that will enable us to break into a long run and complete a quick stop-and-start job," Poole said. "The ST 450 will deliver this all-important capability while turning out consistently high-quality, saddlestitched products including catalogs and directories, at speeds up to 14,000 cycles per hour." Each stitcher features six pockets with cover feeder, fourth- and fifth knife attachment, and one is equipped with a RIMA automated compensating stacker.

Just as the company did before purchasing and installing a pair of Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 presses in 2006, Dome also has "done its homework" this time around by consulting with Heidelberg experts and talking with current users of the Stitchmaster 450. As a result, says Poole, "We are fully confident that the new saddlestitchers will meet all our expectations for efficiency, productivity and performance."

Prior to installation, Dome Printing will send its stitcher operators to Heidelberg's North American Print and Packaging Technology Center in Kennesaw, Ga. for several days of training on the ST 450.

Fast, Flexible and Productive
The Stitchmaster ST 450 delivers greater productivity, increased flexibility and the ability to handle a broad range of applications. The stitcher easily accommodates frequent format changes, fast responses to new or changing customer specifications, short and long runs, as well as uniquely designed print products at speeds up to 14,000 cycles per hour. Features include:
- Automatic format presetting setup of feeder, trimmer and compensating stacker
- JDF-capable control system for greater flexibility in job preparation
- Mobile feeders with servodrives
- Convenient touchscreen operation

Since its founding in 1969, second-generation, family-owned Dome Printing has established a reputation for innovation and a progressive approach to printing solutions. Last year, the company completed work on a 40,000 square-foot expansion built to house its growing digital print, direct mail and fulfillment operation. Dome consistently applies lean manufacturing production practices in evaluating the efficiency of its business, and had identified its saddlestitching operation as an area where the company needed to show further improvement.

A dominant sheetfed and web player throughout California's Central Valley region and across the country, Dome Printing provides a wide range of high-quality commercial printing services for an extensive roster of clients that includes numerous Fortune 500 companies. Dome also views its longtime association with Heidelberg as a key partnership that has enabled the company to move forward aggressively over the years and will continue to do so. "Uptime is an important measurement for us," Poole said. "In addition to exceptional equipment reliability, access to top-flight service and information, Heidelberg delivers an incredible amount of uptime to our organization."