It was a cold winter’s night in Melbourne, but Printgraphics created a warm welcome, rolling out the red carpet for close to 100 people to celebrate the commissioning of its new Komori Lithrone LS-1040P press
Melbourne sheet-fed printer Printgraphic s has a simple slogan: printgreen. This ten-letter motto sums up the company’s philosophy and the reasoning behind its latest investment – a ten-colour Komori Lithrone LS-1040P press with perfector, that was commissioned late last month at the company’s Mount Waverley plant.
The new machine joins a similarly specified six-colour Komori Lithrone to produce the high quality sheet-fed printing – promotional materials, catalogues, brochures, posters, publications, annual reports, newsletters and magazines – for which the company has earned a well-deserved reputation over its 30-plus year history.
Printgraphics directors Ray Keen and Mark Terril, their staff and their families (including a sizeable contingent of children and grandchildren) joined a good number of clients, industry identities and official guests including Mr Toshiyasu Kubotera and Mr Fumihiko Takahashi – somewhat incongruously known as ‘Bazza’ – from Komori.
Mr Kubotera, who was clearly delighted to see the Komori in action in Melbourne, said his company was delighted about its new relationship with Ferrostaal, recently appointed as agents for Komori in Australia.
“We welcome the new relationship with Ferrostaal and look forward to working with them,” said Mr Kubotera – a sentiment that was echoed by Gerard Wintle, head of press sales at Ferrostaal, who spoke enthusiastically about the affiliation, saying his company was proud to represent the Komori brand in Australia.
Guest of honour however, was the company’s new Komori press – a 40” (or 720 x 1030mm) ten-colour perfector with green credentials to rival any in the industry, making it a perfect fit for the company whose motto is printgreen – happily, a ten-letter term which is easily emblazoned on the side of the new machine.
Its ten-colour perfecting format – designed around Komori’s original double-circumference, three-cylinder sheet reversing mechanism – is of course intended for highly efficient double-sided printing, and allows for the application of special colours or coatings in a single pass, while its ability to print on thick stocks provides added versatility.
“The new press delivers the highest possible quality with complete consistency of colour throughout the run,” says Keen, “ and there can be no compromise on reliable, repeatable colour and sharp image reproduction in today’s demanding and competitive market.
“Importantly, it will also allow us greater versatility in scheduling to ensure we can deliver exactly what you, our customers, want, when you want it, while still allowing us to the maintain competitive pricing which is so critical.”
Most importantly, however, the press – which Keen calls the ‘most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly machine in Australia’ – is the company’s flagship for green printing.
Accredited to internationally recognised environmental standards, as are all Komori’s late-model presses, the Lithrone complies in every area with the most stringent environmental credentials – a vital factor for Printgraphics, which places enormous store on its environmental performance and responsible citizenship.
This is demonstrated by its commitment to the ‘Printgraphics Quality and Environmental Management System’ which has been accredited with third-party certification to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004, with all areas of the business regularly submitting to external audits to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous improvement.
The new Komori Lithrone, says Keen, is a key part of achieving those ongoing aims. “The press’ high efficiency motors and pumps reduce power consumption, while alcohol-free dampening and a cloth wash system eliminates the need for solvents and other harmful chemistry,” he explains.
“Automatic plate-changing and other features ensure fast makeready with minimal waste and the press has zero ozone emissions. Even noise pollution has been taken into account, with the press specifically designed for low noise levels – making it noticeably quieter than your average press.”
Mr Kubotera, officially launching the machine, said the new Lithrone was a perfect fit for Printgraphics, a company which shares the same environmental commitment and professional business ideals as Komori.
“Printgraphics is the ideal customer for what we want and what we provide,” he told the assembled crowd before he and ‘Bazza’ presented Keen and Terrill with a framed enamel artwork depicting Mt Fuji to mark the occasion.
In response, Keen spoke of print’s important role as part of today’s multi-channel media mix, outlining its effectiveness and advantages over its electronic competitors. “My strong belief is that print works,” he told the crowd.
After thanking Komori and the Ferrostaal team for its efficient installation and commissioning of the press which has, he says, hasn’t missed a beat, Keen brought the formalities to a close by inviting Jill Keen and Fiona Terrill to cut the ribbon and officially launch the new machine, which proudly bears the printgreen slogan.
“With the environmental credentials of print and paper – combined with the extraordinary performance characteristics of this new press – you can feel good about having your next job printed on this press,” he told the crowd.
Clearly, it’s a message that is getting through, providing the company with a satisfying boost in tough times and industry personnel with a rare thrill – a good news story about a thriving print shop and investment for the future.
Keen and Terrill report that the new press is already busy enough to put pressure on the bindery, providing welcome reassurance of the wisdom of their investment strategy and augurs well for an even greener future at Printgraphics.
