Dobruška/Olomouc / The FGP Studio printshop in Olomouc is known for their focus on Dobruška printing machines. They have enlarged their printing capacity by purchasing the five-colour KBA Performa 74-5 at the end of October/beginning of November. The new printing machine is the first one in the SRB2 format to be used by the printshop.

Mr. Miloslav Kyjevsky founded the printshop in 1990. The company printing has always been done exclusively on Grafitec printing machines. The first four-colour machine in SRA2 format from Dobruška was purchased by FGP Studio in 1992. The printshop remained devoted to the SRA2 class format until this year. Mr. Kyjevsky had been considering a change of format for a long time. “The SRB2 format is a new trend that other Czech and foreign printshops went for. The SRB2 format is also favoured by manufacturers in the area of technological development,” said the owner of the FGP Studio.

The FGP Studio provides regular modification of the printing machines. Generally, a used machine is replaced by a newer model every four years. The manufacturer redeems the machines and after repair they are sold on to other customers. The chosen investment policy of the FGP Studio is indeed conditioned by the effective utilization of the production capacity. The so-called, “economical” machines would not hold up in the FGP Studio. To ensure that the operators save on the preparation time, it is essential to have a fully kitted machine. The LWC paper sheets with lower surface weight are used for the majority of the printshop production. “We do not need to increase the press speed but in order to increase speed of order adaptability then a fully kitted machine is needed,” noted Mr. Kyjevsky. This is why the configuration of the new KBA Performa 74-5 printing machine comes complete with all the equipment that is offered by the manufacturer as part of the above standard.

Fully kitted Performa 74-5

The Performa 74-5 operators have at their disposal the control panel of the GrafiControl system complete with the X-Rite densitometer. The printer loads the printing plates with the help of a semi-automatic system. “The new printing machine is interconnected with the CtP Esko-Graphics Platedriver 4. To pre-set the machine the data in the CIP3 standard is used,” added Mr. Lukas Kyjevsky, the Pre-Press Studio Manager and the owner’s son. The printer provides the adjusting of the axial, radial and diagonal register from the remote control panel. Obviously, the inking unit and offset blanket washer which are part of the Performa 74-5 standard kit are used. The temperature controlled inking unit represents a significant benefit to the printing quality.

The Performa 74-5 replaced the Polly 566 machine in the printshop. The machine replacement had to be done very quickly as the printshop had to deal with fairly strict order schedule. The dismantling of the Polly 566 began on Friday, the 28^th October, immediately after the end of the evening shift. The installation of the new Performa 74-5 was completed over the weekend. The testing started at the beginning of the week and on Wednesday, the 2^nd November, the new machine received the first printshop production workload.

The capacity of the printing machine hall is now maximally utilized. The new 74-5 Performa is situated between the Polly 466 and Polly 266 machines. The company has also installed an one-colour machine in the SRA2 format which was repaired in the KBA-Grafitec company. The FGP Studio prints small, mercantile orders on the printing machine in the SRB3 format. Even though this machine is set for supplementary printing, from the aspect of the company order structure, it is regarded as fully kitted.

Console printshop

The FGP Studio in Olomouc has the status of the console printshop for KBA-Grafitec as the printing machines are kept in perfect condition. As the printing workload arrives during the week, cleaning and servicing of the machines is usually done on Saturday. The company uses the system of regular checks of the printing machines which are carried out by the service men from KBA-Grafitec. We do not economize on the machine maintenance. It pays for itself in terms of reliable operation,” said Mr. Kyjevsky. The console printshop also serves as a demonstration tool for the KBA Performa 74 and Performa 66 printing machines for potential clients from the Czech Republic and from abroad. "When the customer makes the decision to buy the Dobruška machine and it is based on our experience, then it is a prestige reward also for our company. Our machines work in normal operation conditions, it is nowhere near similar to a laboratory environment,” added Mr. Miloslav Kyjevsky.

Company welfare

The FGP Studio in Olomouc has worked its way up to become a prosperous company over the years. The printshop has recently strengthened the final processing and expanded the Sales Department. This printshop employs 50 people, which ranks this company, from the Czech printing industry point of view, as a medium size company. Besides printing for local customers from the region, orders from Czech and foreign clients have also been added to their list.

The printshop of the FGP Studio also trains students. They start to learn on one-colour printers and then move on to multi-colour machines. Some of them become a member of the skeleton staff after completing training. The FGP Studio took part in the project for human resources management, which consisted of training and further education of employees. This project is sponsored through the CzechInvest agency from the structural funds of the European Union.

The owner of the FGP Studio in Olomouc, Mr. Miloslav Kyjevsky is considering further investment. The renewal of the Polly 466 printing machine in the SRA2 format will actually be next year. The most probable replacement will be the KBA Performa 74-4 in the SRB2 format.

The owner of the FGP Studio printshop in Olomouc, Mr. Miloslav Kyjevsky (on the left) and head printer, Mr. Ivo Hlustik by the KBA Performa 74-5 printing machine.

The KBA Performa 74-5 is the first SRB2 format printing machine for Mr. Miloslav Kyjevsky.

The FGP Studio address is Olomouc, str. Táboritů 1.