J.S. McCarthy. Back row (left to right): Randy Robbins, Ian Cowett, Russell Wheeler, Jake White, Greg Giasson. Middle row (left to right): Jason Baird, Jordan Wooldridge. Front row: Matthew Schencks
Marietta, Ga. – Heidelberg USA, Inc. (HEIDELBERG) has announced two new world-record production performances* in packaging and label printing on the Speedmaster XL 106 by J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print (J.S. McCarthy), Augusta, ME, and Moquin Press, Belmont, CA.
In the packaging segment, J.S. McCarthy set a new record by producing 460,149 net sheets in 24 hours on 18-pt. Smurfit WestRock PrintKote SBS folding carton board. In label production, Moquin Press achieved a new benchmark with 464,333 net sheets in 24 hours on 60-lb. C1S label stock. Both companies surpassed their previous records in packaging and label printing, respectively.
These latest milestones reinforce J.S. McCarthy and Moquin Press’s positions as industry leaders while demonstrating the full potential of HEIDELBERG technology when paired with teams committed to precision, efficiency, and continuous optimization.
J.S. McCarthy: A New Benchmark in Packaging Production
J.S. McCarthy’s latest achievement spanned eight different press forms, producing a total of 569,220 net sheets over 30.5 hours – equivalent to roughly five trailer loads of material – on its Speedmaster XL 106-8+L. Leveraging the press’s Push to Stop technology and Prinect Inpress Control 3 industry-leading inline color control, changeovers and makereadies were completed in just three to four minutes. The company maintained exceptional quality throughout the entire run, even while operating at 21,000 sheets per hour, with total waste held to just 2,859 sheets (0.50%).
Exceeding its previous 24-hour record of 429,246 net sheets set only a year ago, J.S. McCarthy President Jon Tardiff commented, “It’s part of our culture. It’s just who we are. We are always challenging ourselves to do things better and faster and more efficiently – it’s ingrained in our entire workforce. We’re very fortunate and blessed to have crews that are open to pushing the envelope each and every day.”
J.S. McCarthy installed its Speedmaster XL 106 in 2024 and continues to push its performance to new limits for the benefit of its customers. The press’s logistics systems, which manage the automated loading of the feeder and removal of printed pallets at delivery, were critical to ensuring uninterrupted, non-stop production.
“The press’s automation and technology make it easier for operators to run jobs efficiently and at high speeds,” said Tardiff. “Given the volume of board we process, ease of operation is critical. Every aspect of this press is designed to help operators consistently achieve maximum production speeds.”
He added, “Everything HEIDELBERG publishes about its machine capabilities – from logistics and delivery systems to closed-loop color control and automated plate changing – performs exactly as described. Every element works as intended, enabling us to achieve what we’ve accomplished.”
Moquin Press: Raising the Bar in Label Production
Moquin Press has once again raised the bar for label production – beating its own world record of 452,805 net sheets set in 2024. Unlike its previous record, which prioritized maximum output, Moquin’s newest accomplishment focused on sustained productivity with consistency, reduced variability, and higher net sellable output.
“The key difference was not just running faster, but running smarter with tighter process control, faster changeovers, and significantly improved stability throughout the entire production cycle,” said Tiago Silva, Pressroom Manager at Moquin Press.
Thanks to this focused approach combined with advanced press technology, Tiago and his team achieved a Delta E of 2.8 and a remarkable 630 combined makeready and waste sheets across the entire run. Staying true to the company’s mantra “Quality first, speed second,” the team refined the press and its internal processes to deliver consistent, reliable, high-throughput performance without ever compromising Moquin’s well-known quality standards.
HEIDELBERG’s Performance Team supported Moquin along the way, providing training on Prinect Analyze Point and the HEIDELBERG Customer Portal to help the team better understand and apply their production data. With this added insight, Moquin learned how to track key performance indicators, benchmark results, and use data more intentionally to drive continuous improvement.
“This record achievement represents more than just an operational milestone; it serves as technical validation of production capacity in high-performance offset printing environments,” said Silva. “It highlights the potential integration between HEIDELBERG’s advanced automation systems and lean manufacturing principles – enhancing waste elimination, reducing manual interventions, process variability, and downtime, with a direct impact on metrics such as OEE and net output.”
Moquin Press’s press operators – Genesis Castro, Trevor Moquin, Robert Razura, and Aung Thu – were central to this achievement. “Their role went far beyond running the press,” said Silva. “In a high-performance environment like this, technology alone is not enough. Skilled operators transform capability into results.”
“Fundamentally Changes the Business”
“These latest achievements – across multiple print segments and a wide range of substrates – highlight the productivity and robustness of the Speedmaster XL 106 and what it can deliver when People, Process, and Technology work as one,” said Clarence Penge, President of Heidelberg USA. “We continue to be impressed by what our customers are able to achieve on these remarkable machines.”
Outside of impressive production metrics, both J.S. McCarthy and Moquin Press conclude that the XL 106’s level of productivity “fundamentally changes the business.”
According to Silva, “Ultimately, it allows us to move from a traditional production mindset to a high-performance manufacturing model, where speed, quality, and efficiency are fully aligned. It shifts the focus from capacity constraints to process optimization and value delivery.”
Tardiff added, “Our key strengths are turnaround time and customer service. This equipment directly enables our ability to deliver fast turnaround and meet customer demand at scale – without it, we couldn’t operate at this level.”
*After measurement by HEIDELBERG
www.heidelberg.com
