Braintree Printing, a leading offset printing and digital printing company serving printers and print brokers throughout the Northeast, continues to add to its fleet of bindery and finishing equipment with the addition of a Heidelberg cylinder die cutter with a maximum sheet size of 21” x 28”. Formerly a vintage letterpress, the Heidelberg was completely dismantled and refurbished as a die cutter by Whittenburg, Inc. of Tennessee.

Jim Corliss, owner of Braintree Printing, said the converted Heidelberg die cutter will be used primarily to manufacture 9” x 12” pocket folders. “We have seen a large increase in the number of customers requesting folders for presentations. In the past, we had to send these projects out to another die cutting vendor. Now we can keep the jobs in-house, saving time on our end and resulting in less cost for the customer.”

According to Corliss, Braintree Printing has tripled the size of its bindery and finishing department in the past five years by adding nine new pieces of equipment. These include folding, laminating, perfect binding, trimming, and coating machines. In addition to the converted Heidelberg, Braintree Printing also has a Morgana Autocreaser capable of scoring and perforating.

Corliss said the Heidelberg installation was performed by Graeme Smith, a Heidelberg cylinder engineer from Whittenburg. According to Whittenburg rebuild specifications, the machine was fully dismantled, cleaned, mechanically inspected and given new parts. It was then reassembled, rewired, retimed and fitted with a new safety guard, metal foot board and side table. Though rebuilt as a die cutter, the former classic printing press retains its yesteryear charm. Freshly painted traditional Heidelburg blue, it bears a metal plaque with the words “Original Heidelberg Cylinder.”

“The converted Heidelberg on our plant floor gives a nod to the printing industry’s rich history,” said Corliss. “This old printing press now looks and runs like new – with a second life as a die cutter.”