Allied Media, a family-owned print and mailing company based in Fenton, Michigan, recently took a major step forward in its production capabilities with the installation of a new Speedmaster CX 104. Known for its fast and reliable in-house mailing services, Allied serves customers across the U.S., from political and union groups to major automakers and local businesses. The Speedmaster CX 104 is the company’s first-ever new press purchase after years of investing in used equipment, and in just a few short months, it has already tripled throughput and significantly improved production performance.
“Our excellence in the printing industry has been hard earned and well maintained for almost thirty years,” said Randy Rockman, President of Allied. “Our turnaround time and delivery to USPS is unmatched, as is our dedication to our customers.”
When Allied outgrew its existing capacity, it became clear that increased productivity was essential to meet new print, addressing, and mailing deadlines. Frustrated by the limitations and uncertainty of used press purchases, Allied decided to invest in the reliability, service, and technology that come with a brand-new press. The decision to go with HEIDELBERG was influenced by the company’s highly positive experience with other HEIDELBERG equipment, including a Suprasetter CtP, three Versafire digital presses, and a Stahlfolder KH 82 folding machine, which Rockman called “the best purchase we’ve ever made.”
The four-color Speedmaster CX 104, capable of running at 15,000 sheets per hour, features HEIDELBERG’s latest innovations such as autonomous Push-to-Stop, AutoPlate Pro, the intuitive User Experience (UX), and AI-powered assistance systems. These features have drastically improved makeready times, minimized waste, and lowered energy consumption. Its newly redesigned coating unit also enables fast changeovers, a crucial feature for a commercial print operation like Allied’s. Since installation in March, the company has seen output and efficiency increase dramatically while production costs have dropped.
To enhance performance further, Allied equipped the press with UV curing and Prinect Inpress Control 3, - HEIDELBERG’s inline spectrophotometer that automatically measures and controls color and register in real time. “It has cut our production costs and made our pressmen much more accurate with registration and efficient with their time,” said John Evans, Chief Accounting Officer. Makeready times have been reduced by half, and color consistency has noticeably improved.
Allied also uses Saphira consumables on press and relies on Prinect Production Manager to connect its entire workflow, from Suprasetter to Speedmaster to Stahlfolder. “Prinect Production Manager is the glue that brings everything together and is also great for press reporting,” said Evans.
Despite this being the company’s first press equipped with Push-to-Stop and other advanced Speedmaster features, Rockman said the transition for operators was smooth. After training on-site and at HEIDELBERG’s Print Media Performance and Training Center in Kennesaw, the team was up to speed quickly. “They love the dependability of having a new press,” he said. “HEIDELBERG is such a trusted name, and we feel it is the best in the industry.”