Birmingham-based printer Printtech has invested in a used Heidelberg Speedmaster to up its capacity and speed. Printtech director Tahir Farooq had been looking for a new machine to add to the factory floor when word reached him of a Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 75-4+L in Cardiff which was in need of a second home.
Commissioned by supplier Exel, the machine cost £350,000 and was installed over two weeks in October, with a week of training. The addition will join an existing Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 six-colour which the company has had for 11 years. Farooq told Print he decided to keep the existing machine to run alongside the new model.
He said: “The old machine was having problems and [we were] spending a lot of money on it, so we were deciding for a few years that we needed to change it.” Due to predicted increased work from current customers Farooq said he decided to keep the machine and therefore, “I am hoping to increase my production by at least about 30% more”. Commenting on why he chose another Heidelberg he said the machines were reliable while the team were used to operating with the brand, so getting another made sense.
Additionally, having two machines will help the company remain resilient going forward, while the latest model has increased production speed. Farooq said: “This one is quite fast. The other one was running slow, like 6,500 sheets per hour, but this can go up to 15,000 and we run about 10,000 sheets.” The business also runs a two-colour Heidelberg GTO.
Printtech deals mainly in trade work including leafleting, brochures, invoice books and packaging boxes. Its two big clients are pizza companies Papa Johns and Fireaway Pizza. The new machine will help the company with its existing work and to take on additional capacity from clients. Printtech has 16 staff and operates out of an 836sqm factory, with an estimated turnover this year of £1.1m to £1.2m.