U.K. printer produces 25 million impressions in one year using
the NexPress 2100
Virtual Literature Management Limited (VLM), a digital print
shop in the U.K., has surpassed 25 million impressions in the past
12 months entirely on NexPress 2100 digital production color
presses of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). The company
has operated two NexPress 2100 since last June, and installed a
third press in January of this year to support expanding volumes.
Digital fulfillment services, primarily for customers in the
real estate and financial-services industries, have played a
significant role in VLM reaching this milestone, according to
Declan Malone, managing director of VLM.
"With our Internet-based business model, VLM customers demand
thousands of individual jobs each day and millions of impressions
each month, without a sacrifice in quality." Malone said. "To
accommodate this volume, we need a digital color press that
combines the reliability and nearly the image quality of an offset
press, with the quick turnaround and flexibility of a digital
printer. The NexPress 2100 is uniquely suited to our needs and the
only choice for our business."
"This milestone is not only a success for VLM, but is also a
success for Heidelberg and the print media industry," said Wolfgang
Pfizenmaier, president of the Heidelberg Digital Print Solution
Center. "Industry analysts have been predicting that Web-to-print
fulfillment represents the fastest-growing application for digital
color printing. The NexPress 2100 press is a perfect match for
digital color businesses like VLM, as it combines the quality,
durability, power and flexibility to successfully realize this
application."
The NexPert operator support system and its
operator-replaceable components (ORCs) is instrumental to the
productivity of the NexPress 2100, explained Venkat Purushotham,
president and CEO of NexPress Solutions LLC.
"Three essential elements of our design make the NexPress
2100 a machine that loves to run for high-volume customers like
VLM," Purushotham said. "First, it employs robust parts and
materials that support high duty cycles. Second, advanced on-board
diagnostics detect and correct potential problems before they
occur. Third, ORCs allow users to do most maintenance on their own,
resulting in high uptime and productivity."
Founded in 1965, VLM employs 100 people at its three
locations in Dublin, Ireland, Birmingham and London, both England -
VLM's new facility for the financial market. The all-digital
marketing firm purchased the NexPress 2100 machines to offer
next-day turnaround on every job, with average run lengths of 60.
According to Malone, the key to being a competitive player in
the marketplace is its fully automated process. This enables VLM to
run multiple systems with fewer operators across several shifts.
Customers can go online, choose a tem-plate for marketing
collateral, upload images and key in the text. The system then
builds a marketing collateral piece, which can be proofed online
and sent to VLM ready to print. It is a process that has enabled
VLM to maximize productivity, while minimizing time and labor
costs.
"Our goal has always been to be a significant player in
digital color printing - the fastest growing area in the graphics
arts industry," Malone said. "We're seeing that growth firsthand.
We are continually adding new customers. Over the next year, we
will double our number using the NexPress 2100 press."
Image:
Declan Malone, Managing Director VLM, in front of his
NexPress 2100.
For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Matthias Hartung
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 5077
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 46
E-mail:
matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com
North America
Heidelberg Digital Print Solution Center
Gail Corey
Tel.: +1 (0)585 512 60 12
E-mail:
gail.corey@heidelberg.com