Annan & Bird Purchases a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 162 VLF Press

Visits to the factory also afforded Annan & Bird an opportunity to assess key functions responsible for the XL 162’s revolutionary productivity, including the single-suction belt feeder and central suction tape for reliable sheet separation; simultaneous wash-up of the blanket and impression cylinders; and AutoPlate XL for fast plate changes in all units in less than 2.5 minutes.

With the new press due to be installed this spring, training of Annan & Bird personnel will start early at the customer facility via simulator, followed by classroom and shop training at Heidelberg’s North American Print and Packaging Technology Center in Kennesaw, GA, as the company prepares to take delivery of the new machine.

“As run lengths shorten and customer demand for speed and quality intensifies, Heidelberg’s VLF Series presses are big enough and fast enough to handle the largest jobs, as well as versatile and nimble enough to make quick changes and custom runs standard procedure,” said Joerg Daehnhardt, Director, Sheetfed Product Management for Heidelberg USA. “With this purchase, Annan & Bird joins the vanguard of packaging printers and converters who have chosen Heidelberg technology to help them meet the challenges of a market in flux.”

About Annan & Bird
Annan & Bird Lithographers is one of the leading large-format printers in Canada and a high-profile, high-impact force in the North American POP/display market. Specialties include POP and posters; dimensional graphics and fine art reproduction; as well as lenticular and special effects in printing and fulfillment. Founded by the Bird family in 1987, the company was acquired by Consolidated Graphics in 2006.

Consolidated Graphics (CGX), headquartered in Houston, is one of North America's leading general commercial printing companies. With 70 printing businesses strategically located across 27 states, Toronto and Prague, and a presence in Asia, CGX offers an unmatched geographic footprint, unsurpassed capabilities, and unparalleled levels of convenience, efficiency and service. With locations in or near virtually every major U.S. market, CGX provides service and responsiveness of a local printer enhanced by the economic, geographic and technological advantages of a large national organization.