Allegheny’s offset print operator, Jack Kelly, at the Komori press console.

Rolling Meadows, Ill. – Komori America—Allegheny Printed Plastics, based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, has installed a five-color, 40-inch Komori offset press (GL540) with LED-UV ink curing. A specialty producer of gift, loyalty, membership and other custom card products, 85-year-old Allegheny Printed Plastics has a long history of investing in the innovative technology required to best serve its evolving markets. The addition of the new Komori press underscores the company’s commitment to meet the demand for unique product solutions on plastic and paper substrates.

“Even in the midst of the uncertain business environment brought on by the pandemic, we made the decision to remain focused on the future and purchase a new press. We thoroughly evaluated digital print options in our due diligence and concluded that offset presses have advanced and now compete with digital even for small run sizes,” said Don Ranalli, president of Allegheny Printed Plastics. “Allegheny’s longstanding dedication to lean manufacturing principles means all our products are produced using best practices to minimize waste and conserve resources. Komori developed the G40 to align with this culture. This press reduces material waste, saves energy and reduces noise, providing the commitment to sustainability and efficiency that make it an optimum choice for us as a company.”

Allegheny was impressed with the many automated features of the GL540 and its ability to produce the consistent color quality that its major retail brand customers require at twice the speed of its previous press. Les Gamble, operations manager for the company, notes that higher run speeds have lowered labor cost per job and the faster job set ups have lowered material costs per job as well. Given that the ‘G’ of the Lithrone G40 stands for green, the company appreciates that the high performance of this press was also created with consideration for the environment and ecology.

“We replaced an eight-color press with the Komori. We have another four-color offset press that will now serve as a backup since the highly efficient Komori is capable of handling 90% of our print needs,” said Gamble. “We also like the fact that the LED-UV ink curing process emits very little heat compared to traditional UV curing systems. Heat is a key variable we must control in printing on plastic since it can distort the sheets, causing registration and color shift issues. As we look to the future, it is clear that LED-UV ink curing will be the standard going forward.”

Additionally, a key factor in selecting Komori over its competitors was Komori’s reputation for service and support. Allegheny reports the installation of the new press was extremely well orchestrated and caused no disruptions to current job production, which is important to their ability to turn jobs quickly. Operators were running live jobs on the Komori within three weeks of removing the old press.

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