JACKSON HEIGHTS, N.Y. — In addition to its nonstop momentum in custom-printed paperboard cartons, The Standard Group provides serious business value to its customers by making the packaging supply chain more efficient. A leading independent folding carton converter, The Standard Group has augmented its fleet of Mitsubishi sheetfed presses, adding another high-performance, 41-inch Diamond V3000LX that further diversifies pressroom capabilities.

“The Standard Group has a long tradition of investing in the right technology at the right time,” said Louis Cortes, president and CEO. “Rather than repair an older 51-inch Mitsubishi press, acquiring a new 41-inch Diamond V3000LX was the natural progression toward fulfilling our commitment to our customers, while at the same time giving us greater flexibility to accommodate a broad range of carton sizes and run lengths. Mitsubishi reacted with their typical speed to install the new equipment in record time to help us service our existing customers and better manage our projected growth."

Established in 1932, The Standard Group is a family-owned packaging specialist headquartered in Jackson Heights, N.Y. It employs 140 people at two facilities. The company prints cartons for branded and private label manufacturers in the household goods, frozen and dry foods, personal care and pharmaceutical products industries.

Because of the different requirements of its customers, The Standard Group uses different press formats and substrates. Joining three existing Mitsubishi presses — a 28-inch, a 41-inch and a 56-inch model with ultraviolet and aqueous coating capabilities — at the company’s Southern Standard Cartons plant in Louisville, Ky., the new Diamond V3000LX features six printing units, an aqueous coater and extended delivery. It delivers matchless print quality on up to 40-point board at the peak printing speed of 16,200 sheets per hour.

The Diamond V3000LX incorporates a host of innovations to prevent any problems when printing on thick sheets that could jeopardize the look and speed of cartons coming off the machine. These include smudge-proof transfer and delivery skeleton cylinders, air showers above the impression cylinders, a gripper height adjustment device and an individual air chamber at each printing unit.

“We have been very impressed by the technological advances in the Diamond V3000LX,” said Joe Rebecca, vice president of manufacturing. “Mitsubishi manufactures great printing presses for the folding carton market. The positive feedback we receive in the marketplace confirms that we have met their expectations and our goals.”

A major plus in The Standard Group’s press purchase was Mitsubishi’s SimulChanger system, enabling fast, fully automated plate changing. SimulChanger simultaneously replaces old plates with fresh plates on every unit in one operation in a little more than a minute.

“High-speed plate changing combined with various automated press processes offers enormous potential for makeready savings,” Rebecca said.

The Standard Group’s successful partnership with Mitsubishi goes back more than 20 years.

“Based on our past experience with a series of Mitsubishi presses, both in craftsmanship and service, we knew what to expect when we purchased the Diamond V3000LX,” Cortes said. “All of our press operators are familiar with the technology. That provides more benefits for our customers. The sales and service from Mitsubishi over the years has also been exemplary.”

For more information about the Diamond V3000LX and other Mitsubishi sheetfed presses, contact MLP U.S.A. at (410) 584-7990 or visit www.mlpusa.com.