The first pre-owned press of this type in France: an 8-color Speedmaster XL 105 for straight printing and perfecting with Prinect Inpress Control. The press was installed at the site of Imprimerie Peau in Berd’huis in March 2016, where it joins two existing Heidelberg presses – an XL 106-5-LX and a CD 74-4-LX.
The company is active in high value added markets and produces very high-end, in some cases tailored, products, often in limited runs, for tour operators in the premium segment, the pharmaceutical industry, and the luxury auto industry. Following a 15 % increase in revenue in 2015, Guillaume Sauget, the President of the company, decided the time was right to augment the production equipment in order to be in a position to meet all the requirements of the company’s customers, but at the right financial terms. “This is the first time we’ve bought a pre-owned press. It was not an obvious decision for us, because we want to preserve our image as a premium print shop. We chose Heidelberg to partner with for this project because of how much we like its technology, and it found us a press that is precisely tailored to our needs. Remarketed presses from this brand are known for how well they retain their value, which gave us the certainty we needed.“, explains Guillaume Sauget.
After a thorough inspection prior to disassembly, the XL 105, which had belonged to a German print shop, underwent a complete overhaul by the Heidelberg teams (full dry ice cleaning, replacement of all damaged and wearing parts, test prints). The teams put the finishing touches to the press on site at Imprimerie Peau, working with the press operators to make the final settings and conduct print tests. “The commissioning process for the XL 105 went like a dream. It’s like new, and working perfectly. We’re using the plate format of the XL 106, which gives our press operators greater flexibility. And, of course above all else, we’re also enjoying the benefits of Inpress Control. Since production started, we’ve been able to use it for all printed products that do not need a coating, which has freed up production capacity on the presses with a coating unit. This has allowed us to win back markets that we were no longer able to service, extend our range of products and services, and shorten our reaction times. The whole experience has been resoundingly positive.“
Imprimerie Peau has 45 employees, generates revenue of EUR 7.4 million, carries the Imprim‘Vert quality seal, and is FSC/PEFC certified. All its presses, including the XL 105, conform to ISO 12647-2 PSO.
In April 2016, the company also acquired a Suprasetter 106 DCL platesetter with Dual Cassette Loader for chemical-free, fully automatic operation. Its postpress machinery includes a Polar 137 XT Autotrim automated cutter, a Stahlfolder folding machine, a Varimatrix die cutter, and an ST 400 saddlestitcher. The company also uses Saphira consumables for inks, coatings, pressroom chemicals, and blankets.