Indraprasth Printers completes 1 cr impressions on SM 74 four-colour press in record time

Within just eight months of installing a new Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 four-colour press, Mumbai based Indraprasth Printers has crossed one crore impressions mark. Here’s more on the same. Once I made the conscious shift to Heidelberg there was no looking back, beams Pravin Totre, the founder of Indraprasth Printers, a Mumbaibased commercial printing firm. Recently, Indraprasth installed a new Heidelberg SM 74 four-colour press in its shop floor, crowning its progress in the past decade. “With the brand new Heidelberg addition, we graduated Magna Cum Laude in commercial printing,” Totre smiles.

The major milestone, Indraprasth has achieved with the Speedmaster SM 74, is the completion of over one crore impressions or 1,44,38,852 impressions to be exact, within eight months of installation. This is a record for a Speedmaster SM 74 press within such an incredibly short time-span.

Indraprasth was founded nine years ago, after Totre decided to put his extensive and intensive experience in the printing industry to work for him.

Today, Indraprasth has a compelling commercial presence in Ghatkopar, due to Totre’s ROI-focused approach to commercial printing. The print shop is engaged in the production of promotional materials like folders, booklets, and brochures.

Pravin Totre’s relentless pursuit of excellence led him to a new Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74, but what truly swayed his decision in favour of the machine is the high level of automation that could be achieved with the four-color press.

“The Speedmaster SM 74 offers a fabulous level of automation, reducing the role of manual labour to minimal. Ever since installing the new press, the need for human intervention has declined dramatically by 70- 75 percent. All that needs to be done is to follow the thumb rules of printing and finish the job,” he states emphatically.

How does this help?

“A lot”, he gestures with his hands, saying, “Lesser manual intervention leads to lesser stress levels and higher productivity.” The Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 fits Totre’s printing requirements to a tee. The four-colour press is equipped with automation components like Auto Plate that reduce makeready and setup times phenomenally compared to other presses. The machine also boasts of a highly automated feeder with central suction tape to handle the widest possible range of substrates, from thin paper to board, ranging in thickness from 0.03 mm (0.0012 inches) to 0.6 mm (0.024 inches).

The Prinect Press Center of the Speedmaster SM 74 enables straightforward and precise machine control through its innovative Intellistart process-oriented operatorguidance system and the make-ready process is very much stress-free.

Alongside the Heidelberg SM 74, Indraprasth currently operates a Heidelberg SORM single-colour press that can accommodate a wide range of printing needs. Also Indraprasth has the Polar cutting equipment and finishing solutions.

Totre believes in a lean and nimble business model, an operating philosophy that has helped Indraprasth tide over the economic crisis that triggered a slowdown in the Indian Graphic Arts industry during the last couple of years.

“Despite economic headwinds, we not only kept our heads above the water, but managed a decent run as well, thanks to our lean operations,” Totre explains. “I do not believe in stretching myself thin by adding unnecessary machines and manpower just to stay competitive,” he adds. His insight on the fierce cutthroat competition prevalent in the commercial printing industry is not only interesting, but valuable as well to other printers.

“It is not enough to be just good,” he says, “Innovation is the key to stay ahead of competition. In an environment where the next guy is as good as you are or even better, you need to find ways to differentiate your offerings. This is where Heidelberg comes into play. My customers are more than happy with the excellent print quality delivered by the Speedmaster SM 74. Curtailing costs is yet another way to beat competition”, he adds thoughtfully.

“Running a tight ship on expenses helps keep liabilities in check. But, cost cutting does not mean you compromise on the quality. Even when I used second-hand machines before, I always went for original Heidelberg spare parts. I don’t believe in trading long-term benefits for short-term cost savings,” he adds further.

On a concluding note, he says, “My decision to buy a new Speedmaster SM 74 press is already paying off. Maintenance costs have come down sharply and productivity has touched record levels. Heidelberg is always the best bet in terms of quality and ROI”.