Ambitious Printers Get 'State of the Art' with Heidelberg Technology

While it trades on quality and craftsmanship, Precision Litho Service in Clearwater, FL recognizes the need to provide both in a timely manner. The fourth-generation, family owned commercial printer found exactly what it was looking for in a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 5-color Anicolor machine with inline aqueous coater it installed in March, replacing a Heidelberg GTO 5-color press and a competitive 6-color, 28” sheetfed machine. Precision Litho chose the new press over a digital model – not only because of the “considerable” consumables and click charges associated with the digital machine, but because the speed, versatility and substrate flexibility of the Anicolor press would better serve its business needs.

“In terms of sheer quality, there definitely has been an upgrade,” said General Manager Roy Vice. “The press is easy to get to color. We’ve been in full production for less than two months and we’re already working on getting our makeready down to 30 sheets, whether we’re printing full PMS, four-color, metallics, you name it. Our operators will tell you that the new press is everything it was cracked up to be.”

Vice is especially pleased with the laydown of the aqueous coating, which he termed “substantial,” adding, “We just printed some promotional postcards on the Anicolor machine, and they look great.” He considers the SM 52’s ability to handle a wide range of substrates from text weight to 24-pt. board a significant competitive advantage against digital, and promotes the capability accordingly.

And there are other competitive advantages, Vice observes. “In terms of format size, the SM 52 Anicolor’s short makereadies enable us to compete with digital presses on short-run work, but because of the high speed of the press and the fast makereadies we also can compete on longer-run projects with multiple forms. The press captures most of the work handled by both previous presses.”

The longtime Heidelberg customer also operates three POLAR paper cutters with jogger/left/Transomat attachments, and a Stitchmaster ST 350 8-pocket saddlestitcher with Rima stacker.

With 65 employees and revenue in the $10 million range, Precision Litho serves a primarily regional client base made up of pharmaceutical, educational and manufacturing concerns. The company takes a long view of its equipment investment. “One of our chief concerns is always long-term viability for the money,” Vice said. “When you add up the advantages of Heidelberg service and craftsmanship, the math is irresistible. You just know you’re getting a solid piece of iron you can use reliably for a very long time.”

For more about the revolutionary Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor, click here.

Speedmaster SM 52 Proves a Niche Maker for N.C. Commercial Printer