Speedmaster SM 74 - User Report: Abächerli Druck AG

Abächerli Druck AG, Sarnen (Switzerland): on the pulse of
the time with Speedmaster
SM 74-5-P

Abächerli Druck AG, Switzerland, has always worked very closely with Heidelberg. Even today the 100-year old family-owned business show- cases the latest technology of the leading system provider in the print media industry. Proofing and plate production are run with Prinect Printready workflow. Plate imaging is done with a Topsetter P 74 and print jobs are produced on 15 sheetfed offset units (Printmaster GTO 52-1, Speedmaster SM 52-5, Speedmaster
SM 74-4-H and Speedmaster SM 74-5-P).

The gem of the production is the Speedmaster SM 74-5 with a perfec- ting unit after the second printing unit and the newly designed inking and dampening system, which Christian Abächerli calls "revolutionary". "The demand to be one of the leading print shops, was our top motivation to enter into this new technology. The press keeps its promise. Even during short runs the ink/water balance, which is reached quickly, is stable, changing the inking profil is done very accurately at the Prinect CP2000 Center via Prinect Axis Control. The new inking and dampening system easily handles demanding jobs with low ink coverage or those which are likely to cause ghosting. The new Speedmaster SM 74 also convinces with its precise register and smooth image", says Christian Abächerli and also emphasizes the optional Vario system for the continuous-film dampening system Alcolor. "Hickeys are a thing of the past. Overall we are achieving a significant gain in productivity and quality with our Speedmaster SM 74."

Support during and after installation was also outstanding according to Christian Abächerli. "The instructor from Germany and the possibility to access the press online have been very proficient and helped our press operators to quickly get the Speedmaster SM 74 under control. Even perfecting jobs are produced at maximum with very little start-up waste. Short make-ready and a low number of make-ready sheets lead to a clear increase in profitability. These aspects are extremely important as we have to handle between five and ten job changes per day on our five-color press and short-term enquiries demand a high level of flexibility and short reaction times."

The jobs range from stationary to business reports and presentation folders as well as voluminous and demanding books. These are great conditions to stress test the flexibility of the Speedmaster SM 74 also with respect to stock thicknesses ranging from 30-gram paper to 0.6 millimeter cardboard. The limitation to the 50 x 70 format is part of a clearly defined business model. The two Speedmaster SM 74 presses perfectly complement each other in the production of runs mostly between 2,000 and 5,000 sheets of four or five-color jobs.