10-Colour Perfector Gives Printer Competitive Edge

Evolution on Merseyside (UK) has installed a top specification 10-colour Komori Lithrone LS1040 Perfector as part of a GBP2.1 million investment.

Evolution on Merseyside (UK) has installed a top specification 10-colour Komori Lithrone LS1040 Perfector as part of a GBP2.1 million investment.

Founded six years ago by brothers Justin and Julian, father David Hussey and sales director Roy Heeney, Evolution has grown by 10 per cent over the past year and achieved an annual turnover of GBP4 million.

But, like many other printing companies, Evolution said it has been affected by the trend of decreasing margins and expected speedier turn-around and it is committed to investing in new technology to address those issues.

Evolution's directors signed the order for the Komori Lithrone press during last September's Workshop 06 event and at the same time ordered a fully automatic MBO T800 folding machine and the Palamides Delta 703 from Friedheim International.

Those decisions were made because Evolution has seen the two suppliers' equipment communicating to produce jobs duirng the Workshop 06 show.

The company operated two B1 Komori presses up until December - a six-colour L640 and coater and a four-colour L440 and coater, which were both replaced when the new press was installed over Christmas.

It is claimed that the 10-colour Lithrone LS1040 will provide a competitive edge because of its specification, which was chosen for its Perfecting technology, extremely fast-make readies and labour saving technology, said Komori.

Justin Hussey, joint managing director of production at Evolution, said the purchase was decided based on his company's strong history with Komori.

He commented: "The service we have received over the years has been second to none.

We chose the LS1040 Perfector over and above other models because the unrivalled Komori technology is not available from other manufacturers.

We have invested in a fully-automatic top of the range specification with features to address all our needs, from reverse osmosis through to the direct ink pump system.

Lithrone S40 technology is proven and unsurpassed and our future payback is guaranteed from investing in these features now." Evolution expects to see considerable benefits in production due to what it believes are the superior make-readies and maximum running speeds of 12,000 sheets per hour (sph).

Reduction in waste and higher productivity will allow the business to remain competitive on the lean margins the industry continues to demand.

Julian Hussey, joint managing director for finance, said: "Due to the nature of our work, the Komori configuration fits us perfectly.

The company's policy to invest in all JDF compliant equipment is giving us the ability to have a continued finger on the pulse enabling us to make accurate pricing decisions.

During our recent visit to Workshop 06 we also invested in a high speed automated folding machine and stacking device, which will be massively labour saving.

We have completely re-addressed the whole MIS system and it will be totally integrated with the new press." Komori UK sales manager, Steve Turner, said: "We are delighted that Evolution has chosen Komori to partner it during this important phase in the company's development.

The LS-1040P is highly automated and includes features such as fully automatic plate mounting and the Komori colour management system PDCS.

The new Komori is equipped to achieve maximum productivity with minimum sheet wastage in line with the directors' focus on running the business with total efficiency." The Evolution directors said they estimate that the new machinery will eventually lead to a 30 per cent labour cost saving once it is fully integrated.

As a company that continually strives for improvement in all areas, the increased capacity and quicker turn-around times will enable the firm to enter new markets and continue to operate with maximum efficiency.

The business, which employs 34 people, produces commercial print with an average run length of 10,000 sheets.

Evolution claims it focuses on closing the loop between repro, pre-press and print to optimise make-ready times and is dedicated to remaining competitive at the low margins that print management companies dictate.

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