Branch is Going Wide

Branch-Smith Printing rang in 2007 by commencing with a major upgrade, now in its final stage, to its 70,000-sq.ft., Ft. Worth, TX facility. The commercial book and publication printer, whose core competency is 4-over-4 process work, went live four months ago with an 8-color, 51´´ KBA Rapida 130 perfector. The 8-unit press—the headlining equipment star of a $9-million capacity expansion—is the first of its kind in the U.S. (and perhaps the world) to be equipped with an inline roll sheeter.

It also marks KBA's fourth North American large-format perfector installation. As the large-format leader, the press maker has placed more than 900 51´´ to 81´´ Rapidas globally.

Running primarily 8.5´´ magazine and book signatures at Branch, the 15,000-sph machine (10,000 sph in perfecting mode) is fed by a large-format sheeter manufactured by Grafech Engineering and available through Independent Graphic Services (IGS). The way the new press is printing sharper, tighter and in better register has exceeded expectations, catching the Branch-Smith crews a bit off guard, admits GM Daniel Hanson.

“We are thrilled with the press,” Hanson says. “Everything about it—its automation, intelligence and engineering—is designed to run extremely well. The print quality is exceptional. We've found that the large-format press holds ink and water balance better than any press we've ever owned. This had to be proven to me because we've only had one other press manufacturer for 24 years.”

In addition to the new KBA, the Branch-Smith pressroom includes three Heidelbergs: two 40´´ 8-color Speedmasters, as well as a refurbished 2-color perfector; all three models have 40´´ roll-sheeters from Mabeg. (See related story on p.20.) With the big Rapida in place, the printer now has 26 printing units dispensing ink via the technotrans ink.line drum system. Management is considering converting one of its 8-color Speedmaster perfectors to a cover press.

“The large-format press size was important to us,” says Hanson. “It gives us the ability to print a high-end sheetfed product but, due to the size, we can run twice as many signature pages per sheet. Now we can print 32 pages instead of 16.”

The expansion also includes new large-format prepress and bindery equipment. Being a publication, catalog and book printer requires Branch-Smith to have a fast, highly automated bindery. The upgrade has doubled the bindery's size, adding three new Stahl folders, an additional Muller Martini (Bravo Plus T) saddlestitcher, a 61´´ Polar 155 cutter and the Pantera perfect binder that Muller showed on the floor at Graph Expo last fall.

In the prepress area, the printer installed a new, fully automated Kodak Magnus VLF 4570 V Speed platesetter with internal punching and a 400-plate multi cassette unit—four different storage cassettes hold a different plate size (and up to 100 plates).

Preparing for the mid-February KBA installation was a huge, but satisfying, undertaking. Branch-Smith is housed in a 70,000-sq.ft., solid-concrete facility built in 1909. To install the 130-ft.-long Rapida on the first floor of its three-story facility, the printer spent more than a week excavating 400 sq.yds. of dirt and concrete to provide the required 13´ height clearance for the press.

Twenty dump trucks were employed to clear all the debris! Structural and foundation engineers were hired to ensure that the press and the firm's building were correctly positioned. While the press console is floor level, the press itself is 16.5´´ lower than the rest of the plant. The area for the new press received 18´´ of concrete to support the weight of the heavy iron.

“Large format is a big investment and a big risk,” says Hanson. “You can't be timid. We wanted to ensure that the installation of a 350,000-lb. press was done correctly.” He adds that although the printer always has had 70,000 sq.ft. of space, only about 50,000 sq.ft. was usable. “We've optimized about 15,000 sq.ft. in the third-floor attic,” he notes, where two stitchers, mailing and packaging equipment now are housed. “It was just shell space up there. We had to add air conditioning, power and a freight elevator.”

Recognized five years ago in the small business category with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Branch-Smith is a fourth-generation, family-owned business. Based in Fort Worth since its inception in 1910, the company employs from 85 to 115 people, depending on the season. With 2006 sales of $14 million, Hanson says projections are on pace to hit the $20 million mark by the end of this year, and the firm has expanded its sales force to handle the influx of new business. After 97 years in business, Branch-Smith is accustomed to rolling with the changes—especially postal changes, as of late. The Branch family also owns a sister company that publishes monthly horticultural trade magazines. With last month's USPS rate increases for periodicals mail, “They're considering going down to 45-lb. stock, from a 50-lb. No. 4 sheet,” Hanson says. Cost savings aside, going any lighter could be detrimental in their market space.

And while co-mingling and co-mailing incentives are enticing, smaller publishers (and their printers) face special challenges.

“Everybody's cleaning their lists,” he notes, “but for us it's more of a delivery time issue.” Some of these magazines' subscribers are at remote locations and ZIP codes. “The print runs are only 15,000 to 20,000, but the books are national, not allowing for much critical mass. The readers won't accept a two-week lag time—and the advertisers certainly won't stand for it either.”

Online: www.kba-usa.com, us.heidelberg.com, igs-usa.com, mabeg.com, technotrans.com, graphics.kodak.com and mullermartini.com