Dats adds Anicolor and competes for digital and B2 work

Print Solutions

Dats Print Services has taken delivery of a refurbished Speedmaster SM 52-4+L Anicolor and it has already created new market opportunities as reduced waste and time make it more cost competitive.

Visiting the Heidelberg Open House last week, Dats’ production director Ian Brown, reported: ‘In one shift we handled 37 make readies for 500 run jobs with some versioning and the colour was consistent throughout. This machine has cut start up waste to about 20 (200 was typical before) and make readies are really fast. It mops up short run work and makes us competitive on price with B2 printers.’

The Irthingborough, Northamptonshire, printer works nationwide, primarily for print management companies, producing booklets, business stationery and general commercial print.

It has a clean and methodical approach to production, including regular maintenance programmes. It already has ISO 9001 quality accreditation and is working with Heidelberg to attain ISO 12647-2 colour certification before also adding ISO 14001 environmental credentials. These standards are a prerequisite for some jobs and Dats is now equipped to handle the work.

The Anicolor is being run alongside a five and two colour Printmaster and a Xerox 700 digital press. It replaced a SM 52-4.

‘Before the Anicolor the breakpoint between litho and digital was typically 1000 but now it is about 350,’ said Ian.

The press, which runs on a double day shift, has increased plate demand and an additional person has been allocated to pre-press to ensure plate output is maximised. The press was deep cleaned prior to delivery and Dats operators were trained before the press was moved into commercial operation.

‘Before the press arrived the operators were finding the concept of having no ink zones strange but they have been really impressed by the technology. It has increased throughput by 30% over the SM 52 it replaced and the addition of the coater means much faster turnarounds. We can now offer same day when next day delivery had been the norm,’ added Ian.

Dats had confidence in buying secondhand from Heidelberg because it knew it would get the support, training and a warranty of the press.