"We see ourselves as a full-service provider for graphics products - from consulting and design to graphics and production in digital and offset printing," says Andreas Grüter, owner and Managing Director of Gutenberg Druck AG in Lachen, Switzerland, explaining his recipe for success. Since summer last year, the approximately 25 employees have been accommodated in a new building covering 1,800 m² (19,375 square feet) that is designed in line with the very latest environmental standards. The print shop has also invested in a new Speedmaster SX 74 five-color press with coating unit from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), which replaced a press from another German manufacturer. The existing four-color Speedmaster SM 52 will continue to be used for production in the new pressroom. 

"The high level of automation of the Speedmaster SX 74 enables us to achieve an industrialized process and deliver cost-effective production of the short and very short runs that now predominate," says Grüter. The fully automatic AutoPlate Pro plate changer switches over the entire plate set in just two minutes. During this time, the completed pile can be removed and new paper fed into place. "We've achieved the huge increase in productivity over the previous press thanks to much shorter makeready times and higher production speeds. The new machine saves around ten to fifteen minutes of makeready time per job. The reliable sheet travel has also halved jams during setup," adds Grüter. The Speedmaster SX 74 achieves an average production speed of 13,000 to 14,000 sheets an hour and thus up to 1,000 sheets more than the previous, two-year-old press. "The double-width impression cylinder of the old press didn't offer us any benefits. With the new machine, we can process our wide range of substrates from 60 to 550 gsm perfectly, while repeat jobs can be reproduced with optimum results thanks to the innovative inking unit." 

Full-service portfolio pays off 
Given all these benefits, Grüter is confident he can offer his customers the best possible service and continue the success story of a print shop whose roots date back to 1860. Gutenberg Druck AG's customers include government authorities, industry, and commercial and trading companies, mainly from the local area. As well as a perfectly equipped photo studio, an in-house agency has recently been set up to advise customers in even greater depth about the creative possibilities in the graphics industry. 

www.gutenberg-druck.ch