07/10/2014
Stephens & George’s first 18,000sph Speedmaster XL 106-8-P, installed at the start of the year, has achieved 22% greater productivity than the 15,000sph XL 105 it replaced. So the Merthyr Tydfil company will add another matching model, also with Inpress Control and Autoplate XL, in January.
From then all its presses will feature Autoplate XL simultaneous plate changing, which it regards as critical for the fastest makereadies. Managing director Andrew Jones has been impressed by the higher speed which is being attained on the first eight-colour for both short and long run magazine and commercial work. It’s average run length is 6,500.
“I would not specify a press without Inpress Control and Autoplate XL. They are vital tools in achieving ISO 12647-2 colour quality consistently and at the highest productivity levels,” says Mr Jones.
The new eight-colour will handle perfected process work primarily. The company estimates that only about 1.5 million out of 14 million sheets a month feature special colours. This is primarily handled on its five-colour 18,000sph XL 106 or perfected on the XL 105-10-P.
“September was a record month for us. Annualised it would take us up to a £30m turnover (to put that in perspective last year we achieved £23m). So it seems the recession is behind us and market conditions are improving,” he says. “Digital is not impacting on our market. Litho makereadies are so slick these days that we can often compete at runs as short as 500.”
He believes the new press will give 30% more capacity than the press it replaces and it looks like that might be needed by this busy plant.
Last year Stephens & George undertook a full press supplier review but returned to Heidelberg believing no one else could match its Speedmaster long perfector technology.
For further information please contact:
Diana Thompson, Plus Point PR Ltd, on 01494-817178
OR
Matt Rockley, Heidelberg UK, on 0844 892 2010
OR
Andrew Jones, Stephens & George, on 01685-388888
07/10/2014
Stephens & George’s first 18,000sph Speedmaster XL 106-8-P, installed at the start of the year, has achieved 22% greater productivity than the 15,000sph XL 105 it replaced. So the Merthyr Tydfil company will add another matching model, also with Inpress Control and Autoplate XL, in January.
From then all its presses will feature Autoplate XL simultaneous plate changing, which it regards as critical for the fastest makereadies. Managing director Andrew Jones has been impressed by the higher speed which is being attained on the first eight-colour for both short and long run magazine and commercial work. It’s average run length is 6,500.
“I would not specify a press without Inpress Control and Autoplate XL. They are vital tools in achieving ISO 12647-2 colour quality consistently and at the highest productivity levels,” says Mr Jones.
The new eight-colour will handle perfected process work primarily. The company estimates that only about 1.5 million out of 14 million sheets a month feature special colours. This is primarily handled on its five-colour 18,000sph XL 106 or perfected on the XL 105-10-P.
“September was a record month for us. Annualised it would take us up to a £30m turnover (to put that in perspective last year we achieved £23m). So it seems the recession is behind us and market conditions are improving,” he says. “Digital is not impacting on our market. Litho makereadies are so slick these days that we can often compete at runs as short as 500.”
He believes the new press will give 30% more capacity than the press it replaces and it looks like that might be needed by this busy plant.
Last year Stephens & George undertook a full press supplier review but returned to Heidelberg believing no one else could match its Speedmaster long perfector technology.
For further information please contact:
Diana Thompson, Plus Point PR Ltd, on 01494-817178
OR
Matt Rockley, Heidelberg UK, on 0844 892 2010
OR
Andrew Jones, Stephens & George, on 01685-388888
