Truly Effective
Why would a print shop even consider changing its consumables
supplier? After all, the press operators have come to know the
quality of their inks, coatings and blankets inside out. Having
said that there are a number of good reasons to make a change. Four
printing specialists from three countries tell us why they decided
to switch to Saphira consumables from Heidelberg.
Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co. KG, Belm, Germany
Artur Benz, Technical Manag er Offset Production
Meinders & Elstermann is a high-end business with six presses and 41 printing units that handles up to 18,000 sheets an hour in three shifts. The 140 employees of this mid-sized commercial print shop process some 6,613 tons (6,000 metric tons) of paper a year. Production is mainly in 3B format and ranges from lavishly finished catalogs and brochures to flyers, business stationery and single-color price lists.
Artur Benz is the technical manager for offset production. He is responsible for ensuring that all six presses from Heidelberg run smoothly around the clock and deliver maximum quality. Yet this is exactly where problems occurred time and again a good year ago. "In particular, we regularly experienced quality deviations and coordination problems for dual-coating applications on our Speedmaster XL 105 sixcolor press," says Benz. At the time, Meinders & Elstermann was using consumables from various manufacturers. "The products in themselves were perfectly okay. But when there were problems and a supplier changed something in the coating, inks or primer, suddenly the adhesion or gloss no longer worked. The process simply wasn't stable." To get these problems under control, Benz decided to try Saphira consumables. "We carried out a production test using low-wax inks, primer, UV gloss coating, Spot UV 115 coating plate and Saphira washup rolls, and all our problems were solved instantly. This in itself was extremely good."
However, another factor was crucial for Benz in his decision to switch. "We can now have a single supplier for the entire process. This is particularly useful for dual-coating applications, where maximum quality is critical," he explains. "This means that, if problems occur, I have only one contact, who can then provide me with reliable and prompt support. I benefit from experienced service staff who know not only the Saphira products but also the presses and how all the components interact right down to the last detail. They either resolve the problem on-site or tell me what needs to be done with the ventilation or dryer - and that gets results!"
Benz uses only Saphira consumables on the Speedmaster SM 52 five-color press with Anicolor. These include blankets and HKS, Pantone and other inks. "This is precisely where we benefit from fully matched products that harmonize perfectly with Anicolor technology and that we can rely on completely."
Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co. KG, Belm, Germany
Artur Benz, Technical Manag er Offset Production
Meinders & Elstermann is a high-end business with six presses and 41 printing units that handles up to 18,000 sheets an hour in three shifts. The 140 employees of this mid-sized commercial print shop process some 6,613 tons (6,000 metric tons) of paper a year. Production is mainly in 3B format and ranges from lavishly finished catalogs and brochures to flyers, business stationery and single-color price lists.
Artur Benz is the technical manager for offset production. He is responsible for ensuring that all six presses from Heidelberg run smoothly around the clock and deliver maximum quality. Yet this is exactly where problems occurred time and again a good year ago. "In particular, we regularly experienced quality deviations and coordination problems for dual-coating applications on our Speedmaster XL 105 sixcolor press," says Benz. At the time, Meinders & Elstermann was using consumables from various manufacturers. "The products in themselves were perfectly okay. But when there were problems and a supplier changed something in the coating, inks or primer, suddenly the adhesion or gloss no longer worked. The process simply wasn't stable." To get these problems under control, Benz decided to try Saphira consumables. "We carried out a production test using low-wax inks, primer, UV gloss coating, Spot UV 115 coating plate and Saphira washup rolls, and all our problems were solved instantly. This in itself was extremely good."
However, another factor was crucial for Benz in his decision to switch. "We can now have a single supplier for the entire process. This is particularly useful for dual-coating applications, where maximum quality is critical," he explains. "This means that, if problems occur, I have only one contact, who can then provide me with reliable and prompt support. I benefit from experienced service staff who know not only the Saphira products but also the presses and how all the components interact right down to the last detail. They either resolve the problem on-site or tell me what needs to be done with the ventilation or dryer - and that gets results!"
Benz uses only Saphira consumables on the Speedmaster SM 52 five-color press with Anicolor. These include blankets and HKS, Pantone and other inks. "This is precisely where we benefit from fully matched products that harmonize perfectly with Anicolor technology and that we can rely on completely."
