Print Solutions
Acorn Press is replacing an ageing Polar Flowline with a comprehensive cutting line from Heidelberg that will see productivity increase by an anticipated 50 to 60%.
The out going cutting system, which is about 20 years old, comprised a guillotine with a jogger and stacklift prior to cutting and a stacklift after.
The new line will still have the stacklift and jogger taking work into the Polar N137 guillotine but scales are added to the jogger for accurately measuring ream quantities and the line finishes with a Transomat unloader. That beefed up materials handling, coupled with Compucut for preloading job information, is behind the expected leap in productivity.
In addition, new Cut Manager software will allow management to analyse performance and see exactly how long each job has taken. This is useful for tracking work but will also enable the business to see which jobs are and are not profitable.
‘We did look at alternative technology but we like the Polar build and performance and our operators are used to running this make of equipment,’ said Patrick Crouch, managing director of Acorn Press. ‘By investing in Compucut and Cut Manager we will be ready for increased demand for automation and electronic assistance. We needed a more efficient and reliable cutting facility. This equipment, which will run around the clock, will give us increased efficiency but we still will want to have the best and most reliable operators to run it.’
The business offers litho, digital and large format printing and its aim is to bring design, campaigns, colour and print to life for its customers.
