Kennesaw, Ga. - Heidelberg has announced the following new product installations:

Docuplex Expands into Half-Size Market with Speedmaster XL 75 from Heidelberg

On its Facebook page, Docuplex Graphics, Inc. of Wichita, KS likens its new Speedmaster XL 75 to a McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom jet: "A sturdy workhorse that can carry a load, pack a punch, exhibit tremendous flexibility and still set speed records."
 
It's an apt comparison, given that Docuplex will now be able to perform a variety of the larger-size format work in-house it previously outsourced, adding faster turnarounds and a measure of quality control to the company's capabilities. "In addition to the ability to accept larger-format jobs, we've also gained speed, productivity, and flexibility with respect to the paper stocks we can run," said company president Jay Ewy. Docuplex's pressroom upgrade dovetails nicely with its June 1 acquisition of Wichita-based PrintMaster, which also brought some half-size equipment to the combined company.
 
On the offset side, Docuplex has been a loyal Heidelberg customer since purchasing its first machine, a Printmaster GTO 52 in the early 2000s. Today, Docuplex also operates a 5-color Speedmaster SM 52 with aqueous coater, two Printmaster QM 46-2's, two POLAR 92 cutters with POLAR lift stacks, as well as USA B26 and USA B20 Stahlfolders, all from Heidelberg, in addition to digital elecrophotographic and grand-format digital inkjet equipment.
 
The Speedmaster XL75 features an extensive level of automation from feeder to delivery, fast plate changes with AutoPlate XL, program-controlled washup devices, Prinect Axis Control color measuring system, and the Prinect Press Center high-performance control station for Heidelberg presses featuring Intellistart navigation and integrated Wallscreen information center for the pressroom.
 
Established by Ewy and his late father Gerald in 1998, Docuplex Graphics is a family-owned, Wichita-based printing and graphics company serving small business, corporate and non-profit customers throughout Kansas and nationwide. The company offers a wide range of digital printing and mailing services, specialty advertising items, and large-format printing, including signs and banners. The company employs a staff of 30.
 
Printing Center USA Chooses Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor
Online print provider Printing Center USA in Great Falls, MT recently installed a 4-color Speedmaster SM 52 press with Anicolor inking to supplement its pressroom capacity. However, in the month or so since the new press has been up and running, the Anicolor machine has done far more than supplement the company's sheetfed offset capabilities. In fact, reported company owner Craig Barber, the SM 52 machine already has assumed roughly 80-90 percent of the work -primarily short-run brochures and booklets-previously run on the company's existing Heidelberg MO half-size press.
 
"It's been a little over a month since we finished training and we're already twice as productive as we were," Barber said. "The 10-sheet makereadies are nothing short of amazing. My pressman is so happy he told me he'd have to start paying me to work here."
 
The Speedmaster SM 52's Anicolor short zoneless inking unit is designed to deliver consistent volumes of ink across the entire sheet using a format-size screen roller located between the chambered blade and the inking form roller. Ink volume is metered by adjusting the temperature of the screen roller. Anicolor inking cuts makeready times and enables the user to achieve time savings of up to 40 percent compared to conventional inking units, along with a 25 percent increase in press capacity.
 
In business as an online printer since 2002 but backed by 40 years' experience in commercial printing, Printing Center USA employs a staff of 20 and reports annual sales in the $4.5 million range. Additional Heidelberg equipment includes a pair of POLAR guillotine paper cutters.
 
Kirkwood Printing Adds Small-Format Folding Capacity

Kirkwood Printing Company in Wilmington, MA reports the installation of a 2-station, pile-fed USA B20 Stahlfolder from Heidelberg. According to COO Eddie Kelley, the new equipment boosts the company's postpress small-format folding capacity and is used to fold a variety of high-quality, commercially printed materials produced for its high-end retail, fine arts and educational clients.
 
The new folder joins a full-service postpress lineup that also includes four more 26x40" Stahlfolders, and a pair of 54" POLAR paper cutters. The company's pressroom is home to two Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 presses-an 8-color and a 6-color-as well as a 6-color Speedmaster SM 102 perfector, while a thermal Suprasetter 105 MCL with Prinect workflow anchors the company's prepress department.
 
The USA B 20 folder is a commercial-grade folder for the smaller commercial printer. It offers quality finishing features with the ability to produce gatefolds, perforating and trimming options, as well as the ability to add gluing. Combination buckle plates with micro adjustments are standard in all plate positions. Fine-tuning folds is quick and efficient and the plates can be converted from deflector to buckle plate without having to lift or lower them. The USA B 20 comes standard with either pile or continuous feeder and 4-plate folding stations are standard. Up to 3 stations are available.
 
Incorporated in 1972 and employing 147, Kirkwood offers complete end-to-end direct marketing solutions with services that include data management and acquisition, data analytics, commercial printing, lettershop, fulfillment and kitting, insert media printing, planning and placement, crisis mail management, and e-marketing. Clients come from the financial services, education, medical products, consumer goods and non-profit sectors. The company, a fixture on the annual Printing Impressions 400 list of leading U.S. printing companies, reports annual revenue of $44 million.
 
In choosing suppliers, Kelley said, "We look for a long-term relationship and performance, both of which we get with Heidelberg. Heidelberg's service organization is also the best in the industry."

Lithoprint Chooses Heidelberg Suprasetter for Improved Quality and Convenience

Lithoprint Corporation, Pompano Beach, FL describes itself as an environmentally friendly printing commercial printer offering quality design, printing, mailing and fulfillment services for more than 13 years. The company recently installed an automatic top-loading Suprasetter A75 thermal computer-to-plate device and upgraded its prepress software to take advantage of the automation and of environmental and quality improvements obtained through the use of Heidelberg Saphira Chemfree aluminum plates, 100 percent of which it recycles.
 
"We're definitely getting a cleaner, sharper dot since we installed the new platesetter," said company owner Brian Boyd. "This is evident in the much-improved quality of the reprints we do. In addition, our production times are significantly faster because of the automation."
 
All printing at Lithoprint is done on Heidelberg sheetfed presses, including a 5-color Speedmaster SM 52, 2-color SORZ, and a 2-color Printmaster QM 46-2. The company's full-service bindery hosts a USA B20 small-format Stahlfolder, as well as POLAR 115 XT and 92X guillotine cutters. Lithoprint also uses a variety of Heidelberg pressroom consumables, including chemistry, ink foils and washup cloths.
 
Founded in 1998 and employing a staff of 10, Lithoprint supplies a varied clientele-including many Florida-based churches and non-profit groups-with commercially printed materials. The company reported annual sales in the $1.7 million range in 2010, and is on track to do the same this year.
 
"We're a Heidelberg user because we feel the equipment is the best there is," Boyd said, adding, "The original reason we chose Heidelberg prepress and consumables is because the equipment works hand-in-hand with our Heidelberg presses, and because we didn't want to get caught up in finger-pointing among different suppliers. That said, Heidelberg's service is better than anybody else's. If our rep doesn't know the answer, he'll pick up the phone and instantly be in touch with someone in the organization who does. You can't beat that."