Just 4 weeks after installation, Graphic Visual Solutions of Greensboro, NC, has already folded over one million sheets on their Stahlfolder TH 82 from Heidelberg. Folding a wide-range of commercial printing projects including 16-page signatures, the new Stahlfolder replaces an older, competitive model.

The Right Folder at the Right Time

“This folder was installed at the perfect time,” said Bryan Hall, President and CEO of Graphic Visual Solutions. “The TH 82 hit the floor right before a big surge in work from our customers. We’ve already seen drastic improvements in our productivity. With our old folder, we would have been faced with substantial overtime costs.”

Productivity gains stem primarily from the folding programs that Graphic Visual Solutions has created and stored on the Stahlfolder, which make set-ups at least 50% faster compared to manual folders. By loading the folding programs, steps like setting the folding roller, slitter shafts and buckle plate stops are adjusted automatically and do not require any interference from the operator.

According to Finishing Manager, Greg Carter, “The Stahlfolder has exceeded my expectations as far as efficiency gains are concerned. Our primary operator, who is very skilled, has drastically improved his changeover times with the new Stahlfolder. Our operators can simply recall a stored job and be back up and running in no time – even if we’re transitioning from a simple fold to a complex 16-page signature.”

Additional Efficiency Gains

In addition to the Stahlfolder, Graphic Visual Solutions has also seen significant productivity improvements in postpress with the latest Compucut software for their POLAR 137 high speed cutter. The software, which automatically creates cutting programs, allows for the recall of stored jobs – drastically increasing the efficiency of the cutting process.

“With Compucut, most of our cutting jobs have been reduced to 4 or 5 steps,” said Carter. “Our operators couldn’t be happier with it. Not only is the functionality and ease of use great, but the training from the Heidelberg team was excellent. We were ready to hit the ground running even before the training was finished.”