The first Heidelberg Speedmaster SX52 press to be sold in the Australian market has gone to Melbourne printer, JP Printing, a family-run commercial printer for the local A3 market.
According to the business’s owner, Ray Stafrace, the deal for the press was signed at drupa in May, and he expects the highly automated two-colour press to “double our production power.”
The plan is for the business is to use the new press in conjunction with its existing Speedmaster 52 five-colour press, which was recently upgraded from the four-colour version. According to Stafrace, the combo will allow his business to do spot colours and varnish – two services his customers have been asking for.
(L-R) JP Printing's Ray Stafrace and Pauline Stafrace; Heidelberg's Shane Hanlon at drupa 2012
“We’ve chosen the SX 52 2-colour and we’ve also taken the opportunity to upgrade from a four-colour press to a new Speedmaster 52 5-colour, which will allow us to do spot colours and varnish, something our customers have been asking for,” says Stafrace. “These two machines hold hands and will provide us with the right solutions to produce the work we currently have and also accommodate future growth.”
JP Printing moved into larger premises in Melbourne’s Campbellfield last year to expand its floor space. The move made the printing business ripe for the new Heidelberg press, which has a throughput of up to 15,000 sheets per minute. “The timing was right for us to also purchase new equipment,” says Stafrace.
It is expected the new press will increase the business’s productivity by around 200 per cent and inject it with the flexibility to accommodate a larger variety of jobs for customers.
“I am very aware of the need to keep moving with the times and investing in equipment that will help to drive sales and also improve production efficiencies. We are a small operation that has built a reputation on service and quality,” says Stafrace. “To maintain these high standards and remain competitive we need to work with the most advanced equipment that we can afford.”