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By George Miller
July 18, 2006 – Digital print service providers frequently walk a tightrope: They can’t lean too much on old technology because they will lose their competitive edge. Nor can they lean too much toward new technology for cost and disruption reasons.
Such was the tightrope being walked by Associates Graphic Services, though you wouldn’t know it by speaking with Dave Zamorski, vice president for digital operations, who is matter-of-fact about the company’s success in migrating to digital technology. AGS purchased a second Xerox iGen3 printer in March, after running its first unit for just four months.
“Financially it made sense to get the first iGen3,” said Zamorski, in an interview. “Monetarily it was a washout. When you add in the speed, savings, up time, amount of substrates…it was a no-brainer for the first machine.”
AGS’s first iGen3 arrived in December 2005. Shortly thereafter, Zamorski set about justifying the purchase of another.
Based in Wilmington, Del., AGS prides itself on offering both conventional and digital print services. It boasts two Heidelberg 6-color offset presses in addition to the iGen3s and a Canon digital printer. The second iGen3 was justified as a replacement for an Indigo 3050, which was experiencing some ink adhesion problems, said Zamorski. But he also wanted the smoother workflow he would get by using two machines of the same platform. Addition of the second iGen3 would also allowed him to use common operators, where the Indigo required a dedicated operator.
“We had enough volume on the Indigo, but were a little short to justify a second iGen3,” he said. He characterized the Xerox printer as “a lot simpler to use and run for variable work and personalization.”
Based on current volume, the iGen3s would be busy for two shifts. But volume was still increasing steadily. One machine would be used 100% of the time for two shifts; the other machine, only 75%.
Zamorski said that AGS has been working to get “several huge projects in the financial and healthcare markets. If we get them, we’ll go immediately to a third shift; otherwise with current growth, we’ll need to add the third shift in the November-December time frame.”
Zamorski said that his opinion of digital print devices is that “anybody can buy one, but you have to know what you’re doing. I see printers buy them for load leveling. We do some of that, but try to stay away from it” because it doesn’t make long-term business sense.
He opts instead to consider technology purchases on an ongoing basis, looking for ways to make his lean print shop leaner. He said three employees were being trained last week on 5S, a lean manufacturing philosophy that involves organizing, cleaning, developing, and sustaining a productive work environment. The nomenclature refers to its five principles: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. In addition, AGS has been working with the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership on training to prepare for ISO certification.
George D. Miller
Site Editor
On Demand Newsline
617-219-8327
Fax: 617-219-8310
www.OnDemandNewsline.com
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“You need what by when? No Problem!”
Judy Prime: 27 years in the industry
Customer Service Representative
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Associates Graphic Services
100 Rogers Road, Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302.656.4500
Toll-Free: 800.966.4501
Fax: 302.656.4890
Email Us Here
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