A
s the saying goes, time heals all and House of Print has not only come
through the merger unscathed, it is genuinely thriving. According to
managing director Andre Bam, it has never been stronger. So, what
was the reason for the merger?
Andre responded, ‘Both House of Print and CTP Artone were forty-year plus
companies with a strong basis in the entertainment industry for the production
of CD, DVD sleeves and point-of-sale display materials. Between the two
companies they virtually dominated this market. However, it is a declining
market, add to this to the fact that the print industry is also declining, we
agreed that it was better to merge the two companies to provide a single,
dedicated supplier for the entertainment industry.’
While this was the primary reason, the synergies have shown benefits in all
areas of the business. House of Print now has three main divisions: Point of Sale,
Entertainment and Commercial. Each of these divisions uses market-leading
technology available within the company to meet the needs of its clients.
The range of equipment reads like a Who’s Who of the printing industry.
On the digital production side there is a Kodak NexPress digital press,
a Xerox iGen4 press and three Konica Minolta bizhub presses.
For point-of-sale production an EFI Vutek large-format printer handles printing
onto both flexible and rigid substrates and can print up to 3.2m in width. The
three Large-format Epson printers are used for proofing purposes.
On the litho side of the production, KBA, Heidelberg and Manroland presses
handle the printing. All finishing and post-print production is also handled
in-house with folding done on MBO and Stahl folding machines and binding
done on Müller Martini equipment. Die-cutting is handled using an A1 Bobst
die-cutter for the large-format work and Heidelberg cylinders for the smaller
format work. House of Print also boasts its own in-house UV varnish
equipment. Two platesetters are responsible for the platemaking
requirements, a Heidelberg Suprasetter and a Basysprint UVSetter.
Technology is an important element of the production capabilities at House of
Print. However, Andre believes that technology for technology sake is a negative
element. Everything in use at House of Print has been specifically selected to
meet the production requirements. That said, almost all of the production is
handled in-house, even the dies for the packaging and point-of-sale elements
are made in-house, thereby increasing the level of control and quality. Andre is
constantly on the lookout for new equipment or systems which can boost
productivity, reduce costs or improve customer service.
It was for this reason that he took on the eight-colour perfecting KBA Rapida
106 press. This press features the fastest production speed and the highest
specification available in the local market. With a top speed of 20 000 sheets
per hour and the ability to complete a makeready in under ten minutes, it
means that this is a highly productive and versatile press. All eight plates
can be changed simultaneously in under a minute.
Andre commented, ‘The speed and flexibility of this press makes it possible for
us to outperform many of the upcoming digital presses. Our makeready times are
the fastest in the market. Also with the fact that this press has a sheeter, we can
compete with the eight-page web press market. The combination of the speed
and the economies-of-scale associated with buying paper in reels means that
we have the best of both worlds.’
The eight-colour perfecting KBA Rapida 106 press
Andre Bam, managing director
Basysprint UVSetter860x
Printed on 128 gsm Hi-Q Titan Gloss supplied by
I
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