Dobruška, Mělník / Not long ago a KBA Performa 66-4 replaced a Polly 466 at the Wendy printshop in Mělník. The Performa 66-4 is now the third printing machine from Dobruška that the printshop has operated in six years. The Wendy printshop was established in 1992 by joint owners Stanislav Kotek and Ivan Žalud. Wendy has gone through the now classic development from the first machine, which was an older Romayor, to a modern KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine.

New printing machine at Wendy printshop in Mělník

Not long ago a KBA Performa 66-4 replaced a Polly 466 at the Wendy printshop in Mělník. The Performa 66-4 is now the third printing machine from Dobruška that the printshop has operated in six years. The Wendy printshop was established in 1992 by joint owners Stanislav Kotek and Ivan Žalud. Wendy has gone through the now classic development from the first machine, which was an older Romayor, to a modern KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine.

A two-colour SRA2 format Polly 266 started cooperation between Wendy and Grafitec. The machine had classic bare-back dampening. Four years ago the printshop purchased its first four-colour machine. It decided again for an SRA2 format printing machine from Dobruška. "Compared to the two-colour, the four-colour Polly 466 was on a much higher level. During the four years of operation there were no problems with the Polly 466, it was always only a case of minor faults caused by normal wear and tear," says Stanislav Kotek.

Quick exchange of printing machines

When the Polly 466 finished operations at the Wendy printshop this June it had made a total of 24 million impressions. KBA Grafitec took the machine back in part-exchange. A buyback was the easiest way for the printshop to sell off its older machine in the framework of modernisation of its printing capacity. The exchange of printing machines was very quick. The supplier provided it for "instant use". The new KBA Performa 66-4 took the place of the older Polly 466 in record time.

"After the Friday shift the printshop prepared the machine for disassembly. During the weekend we made some small building alterations. On Monday morning Grafitec mechanics dismantled the older machine and took it away. They brought the new printing machine in the same day. The machine was prepared for operations during the second and third days and on the fourth day printing started. The printshop was able to use the new Performa 66-4 for printing orders from the following day," as Mr Kotek described the course of installation.

Compared to the Polly 466 the Performa 66-4 is equipped with a more advanced control system. Operation of the machine is done via a touch screen at the delivery. A component of the handover of the printing machine was the presence of a printing instructor from Dobruška. Although printers at Wendy have a lot of experience with printing machines from Dobruška, the transfer of know-how to the staff of the printshop assisted the quick start of two-shift operation on the machine. Two printers, working according to requirement and in extended shifts, alternate in operation of the Performa 66-4.

Customers within 50 km

Most Wendy printshop customers come from Prague and Central Bohemia. The company provides transport of printed matter to users. The Performa 66-4 allows printers to cover a wide range of orders in small, medium and high loads. "Sometimes an extensive order is printed for the whole shift, at other times we do 10 – 12 preparations per day," as Stanislav Kotek characterises the load distribution.

The Wendy printshop reference list includes an extensive list of clients. Among them are companies like ABN - AMRO Bank, Bateria Slaný, DAS – law insurance, Norske Skog Štětí and Vitana. Wendy clients also include the Ministry of Defence CR, the Czech-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Czech Handball Association and other institutions. Non-traditional products of the printshop are so-called QSL cards for radio amateurs. They are cards sent by members of amateur radio clubs around the whole world for confirming contacts.

To prepare plates Wendy uses a Panther Plus VR image setter and Interzich 660 automatic developing machine. The company is considering purchasing CtP. "If we had two multi-colour printing machines, investment in CtP would be essential," as Wendy's joint owner characterises the penetration of CtP into smaller printshops. With one four-colour printing machine the high purchase and operational costs of CtP would not be cost effective for the company. During finishing Wendy carries out foliation, perforation and die-cutting. The printshop is equipped with a machine and equipment for cutting, collating, skiving, stitching, drilling and packaging. Wendy provides more complicated post-press work with external assistance.

Experience with service support

The Wendy printshop has good experience of service support from Dobruška from work with earlier Polly machines. "Service support is very operative, they react quickly and try to satisfy you at once," states Mr Stanislav Kotek. KBA Grafitec provides a two-year guarantee. In the experience of the printshop the approach of the supplier is equally operative in the guarantee and post-guarantee period and a component of service support is an advisory service. "Dobruška service support has never left us stranded. Mechanics from Dobruška are experts in the field," declares printshop joint owner Stanislav Kotek.

The Wendy printshop is a small company with a familial character. It employs 17 staff. Most of the people who started in the printshop 13 years ago are still there today. Wendy printshop is based in Mělník, in the Chloumek locality. Two years ago the company bought a building that was previously rented. Two months after installation Wendy's new KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine has 1.2 million presses on its counter.

KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine at the Wendy printshop in Mělník

Joint owner of Wendy, Stanislav Kotek (left) and printer Marek Ondráček at the delivery of the KBA Performa 66-4 printing machine

The KBA Performa 66-4 is controlled via a touch screen at the delivery

Wendy printshop is based in Mělník, in the Chloumek locality, at Kokořínská 1615.