Recent Installations Report Success with Solutions from Heidelberg

Speedmaster XL 75 Sends Ewing Printing Off to the Races

Ewing Printing Company, a general commercial printer in Vincennes, IN is the proud owner of a new, fully automated Speedmaster XL 75 from Heidelberg, installed in March in the company’s newly expanded facility. According to company president Jim Zeigler, the company badly needed to upgrade its pressroom capacity, previously represented by a pair of aging Speedmaster SM 72 presses, neither of which offered automated features that now come standard on newer models.

“The name of the game these days is, ‘I need it tomorrow’,” Zeigler said. “On top of that, we literally have to be all things to all people. We print it and mail it! That’s easier with the aid of the automated features on the new XL 75, which give us the control to be able to meet our customers’ demands. It’s enabled us to run to GATF standards, and it’s a cleaner, nicer press to run. Going from no automation to full automation in one fell swoop means we’re still learning about the capabilities of the XL 75. We already appreciate that it prints faster and more efficiently, and we expect our facility with the press—and our productivity—to improve even more over the next few months.”

The Speedmaster XL 75 also has improved Ewing’s scheduling. “Where we used to run by size because we didn’t want to set up the press again, now we just key in the sheet size and are off to the races,” Zeigler said. In addition, the firm can print thicker board stock than it used to, giving it the option of accepting jobs it used to avoid for lack of substrate flexibility on the company’s older presses. Zeigler greatly enjoys the automated wash-up features of the new press, adding, “The press is three times more efficient on the wash-up because everything is metered automatically.”

In Ewing’s pressroom, the Speedmaster XL 75 joins the company’s remaining Speedmaster 72 6-color with UV, two Printmaster QM 46 2-color presses, and a pair of Heidelberg KSBG and KSBA letterpresses as well as two windmills, which Ewing converted into die cutters. The bindery hosts a raft of Heidelberg postpress equipment, including multiple POLAR cutters and Stahlfolders and an Stahl ST-90 Collator-Stitcher-Trimmer. The company has also changed to Heidelberg Saphira ink products with the introduction of the XL 75.

Established in 1918 and with 20 employees, Ewing Printing serves a regional client base made up primarily of commercial and agricultural concerns within 200 miles of Vincennes.

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking: the Speedmaster XL 75.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
With a global market share for sheetfed offset printing machines of more than 40 percent, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is the world's leading solution provider for commercial and industrial customers in the print media industry. Headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, the Company focuses on the entire process and value chain for popular format classes in the sheetfed offset and flexographic printing sectors. Apart from printing presses, the product portfolio includes plate imaging devices and finishing equipment, as well as software components designed to integrate all print manufacturing processes. In addition, Heidelberg offers a wide range of spare parts, consumables, used equipment and services, along with extensive training programs provided by the Print Media Academy. Furthermore, the Company assists its customers' investment plans by offering financing concepts.

Heidelberg is most active within the major OECD industrial regions and is expanding its involvement within growing markets such as Asia and Eastern Europe. With development and production sites in six countries and some 250 sales offices worldwide, the Company offers services to more than 200,000 customers around the globe. Heidelberg generates 85 percent of global sales through company-owned sales offices and above 85 percent outside of Germany. In fiscal year 2007/2008, Heidelberg achieved sales of Euro 3.670 billion referring to the divisions Press, Postpress and Financial Services as well as a net profit of Euro 142 million. As of March 31, 2008, the Group employed 19,596 staff worldwide.