Solisco Installs First Heidelberg Speedmaster at Canada-based Plant

Solisco, a commercial printer with two production facilities near Quebec City, QC, recently installed a Speedmaster CX 104-6+L from HEIDELBERG at its Scott headquarters. Equipped with CutStar inline sheeter and Prinect Inpress Control 3, the new machine provides faster speeds and quicker makereadies to accommodate the increasing demands for shorter run books, publications, magazines, and catalogs.

Having invested heavily in various parts of its business over the past two years, Solisco was no longer satisfied with its lone offset press, which it had been running for nearly twenty years. “We needed to run faster,” said Alex Jacques, Director of Manufacturing for Solisco. “We also felt our technology was not up to par to where we wanted to be.” Installed in late 2022, the Speedmaster CX 104, which runs at 16,500 sheets per hour, is a significant upgrade in both speed and technology for the thirty-year-old business. Solisco believes the new press will increase its overall capacity and throughput while producing higher quality products for its customers – giving the company the opportunity to diversify into different markets. “We felt the CX 104 really fit in with our current business but also allowed us some flexibility for the future,” said Jacques.

Solisco’s new press is fully equipped with HEIDELBERG’s latest technology, which includes autonomous Push-to-Stop technology, AutoPlate Pro, and a completely new operating philosophy, the HEIDELBERG User Experience (UX). Coupled with the patented Intellistart 3 and other assistance systems, HEIDELBERG UX ensures short makeready times and the best possible support for press operators throughout the press run. “I think we’ve always been able to adapt to different changes in the market,” said Jacques, “and we’re starting to get increasing requests for shorter runs and more versions.” With multiple webfed presses installed across its various locations, Solisco has historically printed very long run magazines, comic books, four color books, catalogs, and flyers. Now, needing to change the press over multiple times a day, the company anticipates that some of the jobs that used to be printed on its web presses will now be printed offset thanks to the flexibility and efficiency of the CX 104.

To further boost its quality and efficiency, Solisco chose to purchase the CX 104 with Prinect Inpress Control 3 and CutStar inline sheeter. Prinect Inpress Control 3 is the industry’s leading inline spectrophotometer that measures and controls color and registers on the fly at any speed, delivering the first measurable result in less than 60 sheets. “We’re really amazed by the results we’re seeing with Inpress Control so far,” said Jacques. By automating the color control process, sheets get up to color faster at the beginning of each job compared to Solisco’s previous press – saving time and waste sheets. Solisco will see additional efficiencies with CutStar, which allows the company to print directly from a roll and cut sheets to custom sizes before entering the feeder. “As a web printer, we’re used to this type of printing, and we think it’s going to bring us a lot of versatility compared to other sheetfed printers who don’t use this technology,” said Jacques.

While having never purchased a HEIDELBERG offset press in the past, Solisco previously purchased web presses from the company and currently uses both HEIDELBERG service and consumables. “I think HEIDELBERG is the most advanced press in terms of offset on the market, so we were confident that we would not only get a good machine,” said Jacques, “but we would also get quality and timely service for whatever issues might arise.”

Source: Heidelberg

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