• Mayr-Melnhof Packaging France boosts productivity with Speedmaster XL 145-6-LX
• Customized service package optimizes availability and performance

As part of the Mayr-Melnhof Group, MM Packaging France S.A.S. is one of Europe's top packaging printers. At its Monéteau site near Auxerre, the Group now also has a large-format press from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) - a Speedmaster XL 145 six-color press with coating unit, elevated feeder and delivery, logistics, and Auto Non Stop system. To get the very best out of the press, MMP has also secured an exceptional service package.

MMP France primarily produces food packaging. Some 200 employees make folding cartons for drinks, cereals, ready meals, frozen food, confectionery, and pet food around the clock. Despite the printing of food packaging being subject to particularly strict hygiene requirements throughout the production process, the volumes being processed are huge.

Since June 2010, this has been boosted by a Speedmaster XL 145-6-LX. As Dieter Allitsch, Managing Director of MMP France, reveals, the company first started thinking about purchasing this highly productive press several years ago. "We are expanding. We were therefore looking for a press to optimize our cost structure while also delivering impressive quality. It also needed to operate under strict hygiene conditions and ensure optimum reliability in production," he explains.

Packaging printing at full throttle
Following a detailed market analysis, MMP France ultimately decided on the large-format press from Heidelberg. Thanks to this large format, its speed of 15,000 sheets per hour, and its AutoPlate XL automatic plate changer, the Speedmaster XL 145 already delivers a significant boost in productivity, but MMP France wanted even more in terms of speed, efficiency, and productivity. The company was looking to speed up other workflows, too, so it ordered a press configuration with the Prinect Axis Control color measurement and control system for faster inking-up and less waste. The flagship press more than 30 meters long was also elevated to benefit from larger numbers of sheets and higher grammages in each pile. The configuration also includes an Auto Non Stop system controlled from the Prinect Press Center. The system feeds the sheets automatically, reliably, and without interruptions and stacks them onto the pallets, while also avoiding superfluous washup processes. "All in all, each step is much faster and this also enables us to benefit from the growing demand for shorter runs," says Allitsch.

Service package ensures reliability
He immediately adds that optimum reliability is just as important to MMP as maximum productivity, stressing "The press also has benefits in terms of food safety because its design helps prevent the migration of foreign substances into the package contents." The systematic focus on reliability is also reflected in an exceptional service package that MMP has secured along with its press investment. For eight years, Heidelberg will ensure the virtually unlimited availability of the press, which operates at top speeds almost around the clock. Shrewd business management lies behind this move. As Allitsch objectively observes, "Not only are sudden production stoppages annoying, they are above all expensive. Being able to plan maintenance periods and costs is ultimately far more economical." In addition to regular Systemservice maintenance work and spare part replacements, the service package Heidelberg has put together for MMP France therefore also includes a proactive component known as Condition Monitoring. The Speedmaster XL 145 reports its operating status to Heidelberg via the Internet/a Remote Service tool. The relevant data is assessed by Heidelberg experts and complemented by findings from press inspections on site. If the analysis identifies a potential problem, it can be prevented before it actually occurs - at the most convenient time for the company. And if the worst does come to the worst, MMP also has access to the Heidelberg service hotline 24/7.

Last but not least, MMP France's all-in package includes a mutually agreed number of training sessions that in particular boost performance. The French packaging printer is free to choose exactly what assistance is required on each occasion. "No doubt our requirements will change significantly over the eight-year period," says Allitsch, looking to the future.