Kennesaw, Ga. – Only a year after installing a Versafire EP from Heidelberg, Riddle Press, a family-owned wholesale company in Beaverton, Oregon, continues to expand offerings and increase productivity in the short-run packaging market thanks to its latest installations of the Easymatrix 106 CS and Diana Go 85 – both offered in Heidelberg’s vast portfolio of scalable solutions.

Easymatrix 106 – A Diecutter with Large Range of Capabilities
At the end of 2019, Riddle Press installed the Easymatrix 106 CS to replace a diecutter from another manufacturer that only supported smaller formats. Processing boards as thick as 78 pt. and up to 29.4” x 41.7” format, the Easymatrix 106 CS is larger than many diecutters in its class and can easily handle all sheets that are produced on the Versafire EP.

“With our last diecutter, we were missing out on some of the capabilities from our presses due to the limited range on our diecutter,” said Adolphson. “The Easymatrix works alongside our Versafire EP perfectly, and the new automation that comes on it really helps us be more productive.”

The Easymatrix runs at speeds of up to 7,700 sheets per hour and gives Riddle Press even shorter makeready times thanks to the intuitive touchscreen interface, along with the motorized cutting pressure adjustment and quick-lock technology for dies and stripping tools. With a full 41” format and non-stop functionality in the feeder and delivery, longer runs can also be processed efficiently.

“Not only can the Easymatrix run a 41” sheet, but it can also accommodate a very small sheet – all the way to a 11.81” by 13.77” sheet. With a wider range on our diecutter, we are now able to run everything in our shop! From our short digital runs to our larger format sheetfed jobs, we can run everything off of the Easymatrix at industry leading speeds,” said Adolphson.

Diana Go – High Quality, Speed, and Throughput with a Small Footprint
Once off the diecutter, Riddle Press brings jobs over to Heidelberg’s new Diana Go 85, which is a cost-effective, flexible and productive folder-gluer. At less than 33 ft in length, the Diana Go is the ideal solution for Riddle Press thanks to the folder-gluer’s small footprint. According to Adolphson, “We have been looking for a folder-gluer but have been stuck because we didn’t have a large enough facility. Then Heidelberg introduced the new Diana Go, which has the same features, build quality, speed, and throughput as you get with larger machines, but it’s in a format that can actually fit in our facility.”

The Diana Go produces cartons at speeds up to 250 m/min (820 ft./min) and a width up to 33.4 inches and handles a variety of carton styles including straight-line and lock bottom cartons, as well as special styles with attachments, such as envelopes or even presentation folders. Riddle chose a Baumer hhs Xtend3 extrusion glue system for the machine, which allows them to add quality control in the future to meet customer needs.

“Since we installed the Diana Go, it has made a huge difference in our production output and has produced only the best quality,” said Adolphson. “Surprisingly, it also wasn’t difficult to get our employees trained on the Diana Go – it’s much easier than we thought it would be to run. With its compact design and operator-friendliness, the Diana Go is the perfect solution for our employees and our short-run packaging needs.”

Versafire EP – Perfect Digital Press for Short-Run Packaging
Installed at the beginning of 2019, the Versafire EP was purchased to support Riddle Press as the company expanded its capabilities into packaging – specifically low quantity jobs. Supporting 24-point stock, the Versafire EP with Prinect Digital Front End (DFE) as its backbone, came at just the right time. Printing at 4,800 x 2,400 dpi and 135 letter pages per minute, the Versafire EP is still a staple in Riddle Press’s production workflow to this day.

According to Nick Adolphson, Manager of Riddle Press, “The Versafire EP is doing everything we need to do and more! It runs, doesn’t break down, and keeps our customers happy. Plus, it works seamlessly with the Easymatrix 106 CS and Diana Go 85, which is perfect as we continue to expand our capabilities in the short-run packaging market.”

Heidelberg – Offering Competitive Rates with Top-Notch Service and Knowledge
Alongside the Versafire EP, Easymatrix 106 CS and Diana Go, Riddle Press also has a Heidelberg Suprasetter and uses Heidelberg Saphira Consumables and Prinect workflow. All of Riddle Press’s equipment falls in Heidelberg’s “Scalable Solutions” portfolio – meaning that regardless of the size or type of printing business, Heidelberg has solutions from prepress through finishing with the flexibility to grow with customers as businesses change, which is one of the main reasons Riddle Press partners with Heidelberg.

“Heidelberg continues to surprise us every time we install a new piece of machinery – they are much more than a sheetfed platform,” said Adolphson. “The ability to have one company be able to look at multiple parts of our production line and keep everything assimilated and working together productively has been a breath of fresh air. Plus, the pricing of Heidelberg’s equipment is very competitive. When you receive these competitive rates and get these machines with the service and knowledge you receive from Heidelberg, it just makes sense to keep adding from their portfolio of machinery to our production lineup. It’s a portfolio of equipment and partnership we can grow with.”