09-10-2006 - Printing.com - "Printing.com expands capacity and streamlines manufacturing with world's firstLlithrone 440SP with double coater" - M2 Presswire
Printing.com has added 50% capacity to its UK print hub with the installation of a four-colour Komori Lithrone 40SP double deck perfector complete with double coater - the first of its type in the world. Acquired to fulfil demand created by the company's continued expansion, the new press joins two Lithrone 440 presses, both with coater, already in operation at the company's central printing facility in Manchester, UK.Printing.com's expertise is centred on the supply of short run (run lengths range from 500 to 20,000 full colour printing). Instead of quoting on an individual job-by-job basis, standardised pricing and turnaround is offered on 2,200 products, including flyers, business stationary, leaflets, promotional goods and brochures. Specialised items are also offered such as scratch cards and encapsulated 'credit cards'. The key is that a full-colour product is offered at a price point significantly below the usual market price of a 2-colour or even single-colour equivalent.
High-calibre production equipment is important to give customers a consistently top quality, competitively priced product. "Our competitive advantage is that we print batch many orders, with a common specification, on the same production run," explains Mr Rafferty. "On a typical day, we may image 200 plates, carry out 50 make-readies and ship over 1000 cartons."
"The Komori Lithrone 40SP is a super efficient press," says Mr Rafferty. "High standards in production, quality and customer service alongside streamlined manufacturing lies at the heart of our business. Komori takes the same approach with its press design. The key differential is Komori's KHS system. Our average run length is 2,800 sheets and our average order is GBP180. Consequently, it is absolutely critical that make-ready is super fast and that we achieve accurate colour quickly and with as little waste as possible." Today a 12-hour shift will see 20 B1 signatures printed and processed, so efficiency is paramount.
Mr Rafferty has tracked Komori's development of the Komori Lithrone double deck perfector. "Although it includes a double coater and extended delivery, it is still a compact press and that was important. I have to get maximum value from each square foot of my factory and this unique press helps me do that."
The double-deck design of the Komori Lithrone 440SP provides additional features that further streamline production and ensure consistent quality. With long perfectors, each four-plate set is imaged slightly differently. However, this is not required for the SP format where the front edge is always the same. This gives complete flexibility and allows the plates to be totally interchangeable between any of Printing.com's presses. Furthermore, total front and back accuracy registration accuracy is ensured.
Successful model Printing.com has developed a unique, highly profitable and highly developed 'Hub & Spoke' business model, with a central print production facility serving regional outlets. Mr Rafferty attributes the success to an extremely disciplined approach to integrated supply chain management, systems and training - all fused together by Flyerlink, the company's proprietary software. "It's our supply chain economies of scale that enable us to offer customers a significantly lower price," says Mr Rafferty. "We can produce 500 business cards in less than 7 seconds, including set up time. This would take about an hour's labour the conventional way.
Printing.com's 3,500 sq.m Manchester Hub is the centre of all UK and Ireland operations and features leading-edge pre-press, press and finishing equipment. In addition to the new Komori press, recent investments include bespoke automated sortation and packing lines to further streamline the manufacturing and despatch process.
The 'Spoke' aspect of Printing.com's business comprises over 180 outlets, with a new one opening at the rate of 1 a week. These outlets are responsible for managing client relationships, graphic design and promoting the Printing.com service in their local business communities.
The group is highly successful. With a turnover of GBP12.34m it reported a 59 percent boost in pre-tax profits, and a net worth of GBP4m. With investment in the new Komori perfector, alongside investment in other parts of the business, the company intends to make a substantial increase in these results. The latest round of investment into equipment and expansion of the facilities has raised 'Total Retail Sales' (TRS) from GBP20m- GBP25m to an expected GBP40m-45m.
Photo: a selection of images of Tony Rafferty and the new Komori Lithrone 40SP are available to download directly from: http://www.grafixwire.info/component/option,com_zoom/Itemid,36/catid,39/
About Printing.com
Printing.com is a phenomenal business success. CEO Tony Rafferty started the business in 1992 at home with just GBP3,000 investment to provide Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with printing services that are in his words: "The best possible quality but at a lower price than offered by anyone else". Pre-press was added in 1993, post-press facilities in 1994 and in 1995 Mr Rafferty bought his first Komori Lithrone press at drupa. "I was very impressed with Komori's Print Room 2000 vision and pound for pound, Komori provided all-round better value then - and still does today."
Fourteen years later the company has grown into a unique and highly profitable business comprising 180 franchised outlets throughout the UK and Ireland and a stock market valuation of about Euro 45million. Following on from the success of its business in UK and Ireland, Printing.com is currently rolling out its franchise operation globally. "The aim is to become the world's largest non-food franchise by partnering with other printers," explains Tony Rafferty. "We are providing commercial printers with the opportunity to diversify by licensing our proprietary software and proven franchise elements for their country on an exclusive basis." More information: email Simon Davies on simon.davies@printing.com. www.printing.com.
About Komori
For 83 years, since its establishment in 1923, the Komori Group has been producing offset printing presses. The flagship products include sheet-fed offset presses such as the 40inch and 29 inch 'Lithrone S Series' , web offset presses such as the 'System 38 Series' and related equipment and devices, as well as currency printing machinery, exclusively supplied to the National Printing Bureau in Japan for many years.
The Komori Group endeavours to improve the quality and productivity of its basic printing presses and develop printing information networks and automated integrated printing systems to respond to the recent trend of digitalisation and networking, and realise a total printing production system.