"We've owned dozens of Komori presses over the years," says Ling. "Investing in this new press was needed for several reasons. We recognized that some of our work was shorter in volume and required a fast turnaround. Having a perfector would add significant efficiencies with its ability to print two-sided jobs faster, significantly shortening the turnaround time. Additionally, as a few of our operators are close to retirement, the intuitive technology of the Lithrone G40P advance helps new press operators overcome a lot of things that used to take years to master. We are enjoying its ease of operation compared to older presses. Everyone wants to be operating this press."

Smoothing out the learning curve

The Lithrone G40P advance is designed to help commercial printers tackle emerging labor challenges by making the learning curve easier for operators. The user-friendly platform reduces touchpoints, saving both time and labor. Efficiencies are found in the automated features such as Asynchronous Automatic Plate Changer (A-APC) that reduces plate change time to approximately 75 seconds and the KHS-AI self-learning productivity enhancement system that helps reduce makeready waste to 75-150 sheets in most instances and is constantly learning how to do its job better. The new advance feature set makes short-run offset highly competitive in today's market.

Along with the efficiencies Advantage was seeking, speed to market and consistent color were also critical in the decision. For example, the company produces high-end real estate books that feature multi-million-dollar homes for sale in Southern California. The art files for this project typically arrive on a Thursday and the end product needs to be delivered no later than Saturday morning to be available to attract the interest of high-end home buyers. The speed of the Lithrone G40P advance is making it possible for the printing process to be completed up to 40% faster now despite the need for short runs and multiple plate changes, allowing Advantage to deliver the project a day earlier than before.

"In the end, the final decision came down to value and total cost of ownership," says Ling. "Because we own other brands of equipment, we were able to compare how much service and parts cost in the long run. We also took into consideration other things, such as warranty periods and our experience showing that the Komori presses perform so well. Finally, it was the fact that we felt Komori had our best interests in mind all the way through this decision. Our salesperson was phenomenal. He listened to us and provided a solution that fit just what we needed. We have been happy with everything about the process of acquiring this new press."