Solisco Installs First HEIDELBERG Speedmaster at Scott Plant

Left to right: Eric Gingras (Principal Director Improvement and Industrial Technology at Solisco); Alex Jacques (Making Director, Solisco); Steve Caron (Vice President Manufacturing, Solisco).

Kennesaw, Ga. – Solisco, a commercial printer with two production facilities near Quebec City, QC, recently installed a Speedmaster CX 104-6+L from HEIDELBERG at its Scott headquarters. The new machine, which is equipped with CutStar Inline Sheeter and Prinect Inpress Control 3 allows for faster speeds and faster makereadies to meet the growing demand for shorter runs of books, publications, and catalogues.

Solisco had made significant investments in other areas of its business over two years and was not satisfied with its offset press, which it had owned for almost twenty years. “We needed to run faster,” said Alex Jacques, Director of Manufacturing for Solisco. “We also felt our technology was not up to par to where we wanted to be.” Installed in late 2022, the Speedmaster CX 104, which runs at 16,500 sheets per hour, is a significant upgrade in both speed and technology for the thirty-year-old business. Solisco believes the new press will increase its overall capacity and throughput while producing higher quality products for its customers – giving the company the opportunity to diversify into different markets. “We felt the CX 104 really fit in with our current business but also allowed us some flexibility for the future,” said Jacques.

Solisco’s new press is fully equipped with HEIDELBERG’s latest technology, which includes autonomous Push-to-Stop technology, AutoPlate Pro, and a completely new operating philosophy, the HEIDELBERG User Experience (UX). HEIDELBERG UX is a combination with Intellistart 3 and other assistance system, which ensures a quick makeready time and the best possible support for press workers throughout the entire press run. “I think we’ve always been able to adapt to different changes in the market,” said Jacques, “and we’re starting to get increasing requests for shorter runs and more versions.” With multiple webfed presses installed across its various locations, Solisco has historically printed very long run magazines, comic books, four color books, catalogs, and flyers. The flexibility and efficiency of CX 104 will allow the company to print offset some jobs that were previously printed on its web presses, as it has to change the press several times per day.

Solisco purchased the CX 104 with Prinect Control 3 and CutStar inline sheetser to improve its quality and efficiency. Prinect Inpress Control 3 is the industry’s leading inline spectrophotometer that measures and controls color and registers on the fly at any speed, delivering the first measurable result in less than 60 sheets. “We’re really amazed by the results we’re seeing with Inpress Control so far,” said Jacques. By automating the color control process, sheets get up to color faster at the beginning of each job compared to Solisco’s previous press – saving time and waste sheets. CutStar will allow Solisco to print directly from a roll, and then cut sheets to specific sizes before entering the feeder. “As a web printer, we’re used to this type of printing, and we think it’s going to bring us a lot of versatility compared to other sheetfed printers who don’t use this technology,” said Jacques.

Solisco, who has never owned an offset HEIDELBERG press, previously purchased web presses at the company. She currently uses both HEIDELBERG services and consumables. “I think HEIDELBERG is the most advanced press in terms of offset on the market, so we were confident that we would not only get a good machine,” said Jacques, “but we would also get quality and timely service for whatever issues might arise.”