Digging Into Perfecting

Sometimes ordering a press is the easy part. That may have been the case for Printing Corp. of the Americas (PCA). The Pompano Beach, FL firm, which does about $10 million in annual sales, pledges to deliver short-run sheetfed work at web press prices.

So the selection last year of a 5-unit Akiyama JPrint 40´´ perfector was a natural because it prints both sides at once like a rollfed machine. “JPrint functions like a web press,” says Gus Gonzalez, PCA plant manager. “It doesn't have folding capabilities,” he acknowledges, but “being able to push pallets of virgin paper into the feeder and catch them at delivery, totally ready for the bindery within a matter of hours without handling the stock in between is of great advantage over conventional sheetfed.” The bindery, in fact, plays a key role in PCA's ability to keep pace.

“Our bindery gets extremely busy when the JPrint starts cranking out forms,” he says. “There is no waiting around—what is on the floor is ready to bind.” Gonzalez also likes to double-up, building redundancy into the finishing operation to respond to pressroom demands, and to keep jobs moving to accommodate maintenance or in case of machine failure. This means there are pairs of finishers—two Muller Martini saddlestitchers and two perfect binders with in-line and off-line three-knife trimmers; two Prism cutters; even two pairs of MBO folders, that form the bindery operation.

“We can sneak into the web market because of our equipment and because of our employees,” says Gonzalez. “Their flexibility and dedication throughout has been remarkable.”

PCA employs 45 in its 30,000-sq.ft. facility, producing saddlestitched and perfect-bound local and national publications, both weeklies and quarterlies. PCA also handles general commercial and trade work for a diverse group of nationwide customers. It generates over 8 million impressions monthly, serving 100 clients in runs ranging from 10,000 to 20,000, turning jobs around in four days or less.

A typical job is an 8.5×11´´ 48-page self-cover booklet or publication, run as three, 16-page forms printed 4/4 on 60-lb. coated text, with a run length of 15,000 copies.

“Our turnaround on a job like this is 24 to 48 hours from proof approval,” says Gonzalez. “We are a powerhouse. We know our capabilities and manage them well.”

PCA's hunt for the perfect perfector began in 2006. It based the decision to go for the Akiyama JPrint on print quality, simplicity of makeready, but especially its footpint. The JPrint, a stacked perfector (five on top; five on bottom), measures 36´ long, which is 20´ to 30´ shorter than typical five-over-five perfectors.

It joined an all-Heidelberg arsenal of three 28×40´´ Speedmasters—a 4-color, 5-color, 6-color and a 14×20´´ 5-color. “We are a Heidelberg shop. We believe strongly in their presses. But their perfector's footprint—and the price tag—is double [that of the] JPrint,” says Gonzalez. “Even though Akiyama is not as big a name as some of the presses we looked at, we do not feel we've sacrificed quality—not one little bit,” he notes. “The JPrint prints a beautiful dot.”

The press does not tumble the sheet, instead using the lead gripper edge to pull sheets from infeed to delivery. “This not only saves us paper,” says Gonzalez, “it also maintains accuracy, reducing the possibility of misregister on the second side.” There is no quality difference between front and back, he says. For its advantages on horizontal footprint, the JPrint carries a tall profile because units are stacked. PCA modelled its install after other users with standard-height ceilings. In laying the slab, it dug down. PCA spent nine months planning. First, the bindery was relocated, which also assured there was adequate power for the press location.

Lowering the floor also ensured height clearance for press crews. A 5½´ hole dug into the foundation allowed it to be recessed 18´´ into the shop floor, giving headroom on the catwalk for operators.

ONLINE: go to graphicartsonline.com for links to items in the story.