McClung Companies, an employee-owned business in Waynesboro, Virginia, has seen a 90% increase in efficiencies since installing the Heidelberg Stahlfolder TH 82 with the addition of the palamides Delta 703 delivery.
Key to Growth – Streamlining Workflow Backwards
Focused on pharmaceuticals, McClung Companies needed an additional folder to keep up with the amount of work received from customers. The company’s long history with Heidelberg Stahlfolders made the purchase of the TH 82 an easy decision. Combining higher throughput and excellent flexibility, the Stahlfolder TH 82 provides high quality folding at 12,000 sheets per hour.
“We’re streamlining our workflow backwards – from our finishing department to our prepress. That’s why we needed a productive folder before we moved to upgrade our other equipment,” said Sheila Southall, Vice President of Production at McClung Companies. “With the Stahlfolder, we are receiving an extremely fast-pace and reliable folder that is needed to help us continue to grow as a company.”
Due to the automated set-up and ability to store and recall settings for repeat jobs on the Stahlfolder, McClung Printing has drastically been able to reduce its makeready times. According to Southall, “The technology on the equipment definitely makes a difference when it comes to achieving goals. From a production standpoint, you really need a mixture of advanced technology and a passionate skillset. The Stahlfolder allows us to excel beyond our original expectations, but it also takes a motivated operator to make these jobs happen. Luckily, we have both.”
Scalable Solutions Based on McClung Companies’ Current Needs
As a modular machine, the Stahlfolder TH 82 enables McClung Companies to expand its range of specialized applications, to enter new areas of business, and to add more customized value as needed. One aspect that the company added on was the palamides Delta 703 delivery, which generates exact banded piles for highly efficient, multiple-up production work. The palamides produces mark-free products even if the folder runs with high capacity, so only one person is needed to operate the entire system. According to Southall, “We know we are going to grow, so we need that additional capacity. Thanks to the palamides in combination with the Stahlfolder, we have increased our efficiencies by 90% compared to our other folders – opening up room to grow.”
When McClung Companies needs to find ways to be more efficient, the company looks to Heidelberg’s scalable solutions to add to their workflow. Another way McClung Companies is adding two new solutions to its workflow is by adding 2 transomats to its high-speed POLAR 115 cutters. According to Southall, “We have a POLAR lift, a jogger, and cutter, so it just made sense to also add the POLAR transomat unloader and complete the entire cutting system. The transomat might sound like a small benefit, but it’s really made an impact on our workflow and cutting production by being able to stack the product onto the skid automatically. With a touch of a button, the operator is back to cutting the next lift which provides a 40% increase in cutting output — no more time lost due to manual down stacking, and it eliminates all the physical bending. We can now move the perfectly stacked product right up to the folder. It’s a huge benefit – no doubt about it.”
Alongside McClung’s POLAR Cutters and four Stahlfolders is a long line of Heidelberg equipment including two Speedmaster SM 74s, a Printmaster QM 46, and a Speedmaster CD 74. Additionally, McClung relies on several Saphira Consumables to run its equipment. According to Southall, “When you buy quality, you produce a quality product. That’s why we go with Heidelberg.”
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