Sando Sanyo, Japan.

Sando Sanyo Printing improves competitiveness and productivity with Prinect automation on the print floor and in postpress cutting

“Prinect supports our vision of a fully automated print operation, from prepress to postpress.”

Masanori Yoshida, Executive Officer, Sando Sanyo Printing

With a history dating back to 1896, Sando Sanyo Printing Co. Ltd. in Sapporo, Hokkaido has been delivering print services with care, craftsmanship, and innovation for over 128 years. Guided by a deep commitment to quality and customer trust, the company continues to evolve its offerings across both print and information services.

“We are focused on creating a workplace where people take initiative and make smart decisions,” says Masanori Yoshida, Executive Officer and Head of Production. “Through training, information management, and environmental efforts, we aim to exceed expectations and keep growing together with our customers.”

5x more jobs with smarter workflow

With a clear focus on the future, Sando Sanyo is automating operations across the business, from order entry to final delivery. A major milestone has been the implementation of the POLAR N 137 PACE fully automated cutting system, which has delivered measurable improvements in productivity, consistency, safety, and labor efficiency.

To fully unlock the system’s potential, the company transitioned from its previous workflow to the Prinect Workflow from HEIDELBERG. “Our old system was fragmented, making it hard to share data between departments,” says Yoshida. “We chose Prinect because we wanted a single platform to manage everything from prepress to shipping.”

The implementation brought immediate results. With Prinect’s automatic imposition and improved data flow, monthly job throughput increased fivefold within just two months.

“Prinect is an essential tool for automation. It greatly reduces the workload in production management,” says Kimi Suenaga, Manager of the Prepress Department. “It took effort to create custom manuals for the team, but the payoff has been clear.”

Reducing strain, improving output in postpress

The automation of the cutting process has been particularly impactful. Heavy lifting and repetitive work previously caused fatigue and reduced output in the afternoons, often leading to overtime.

“Paper is heavy, and after a full day of manual cutting, productivity drops sharply,” explains Yoshida. “Since introducing PACE, we’ve reduced overtime by 50%. Our operators leave work with a smile.” He adds: “The PACE system seems to move just like an experienced operator. It supports the user precisely when needed—like a robot that’s learned human timing.”

The integration between Prinect and PACE enables fully automated cutting. Previously, operators manually entered cut sizes using real paper samples. Now, the Compucut software reads imposition data directly from Prinect, generating cutting programs without manual input. This not only reduces setup time and input errors, but also allows less experienced staff to handle complex tasks confidently.

In the pressroom, Prinect Color Toolbox has brought new stability to color management by automating chart generation, measurement, and calibration. “Our print quality has become much more stable thanks to Prinect Color Toolbox,” says Suenaga.

A vision for full automation

Looking ahead, Yoshida sees Prinect playing a central role in the company’s journey toward full automation: “In the future, machines will handle repetitive and physically demanding tasks, while people focus on what only humans can do,” he says. “I can imagine a production floor with AGVs moving materials and robots performing tasks at every stage. PACE is our first step in that direction, and Prinect will be the command center of this automated future.”