PERFORMA

How does a printing firm find precisely the right press to meet all its needs? Not just for the present, but for the future as well? After checking out the market, Gazelle in Belgium opted for the first KBA Performa 74 in the Benelux states. “It is the ideal press for all our needs,” says John Verbiest, one of the two members of the administrative board.

Gazelle makes quality leap with Performa

The narrow gateway to Gazelle in Deurne, a suburb of Antwerp, conceals a surprisingly spacious and modern production plant where the Performa 74 four-colour is located. John Verbiest, who is responsible for ensuring a smooth production run, and Philippe van Ongevalle, head of sales and controlling, took over the offset plant from Jan Glorieux in 2001 and now have a staff 16.

The first Performa 74 in the Benelux states came on stream in November 2005 at Belgian printer Gazelle in Deurne

The Performa 74 represents a switch from another manufacturer. "We certainly didn't make the decision lightly," explains Verbiest. "The move was preceded by an exhaustive analysis of the technology available in the market, which resulted in a list of 19 presses. A key reason for making the investment was to reduce costs, and moving to B2 seemed a good idea because the competition in small format is ferocious. We offer our customers a broad range of products that include writing paper, leaflets, brochures and books alongside magazines, business reports and newsletters. This versatility caused us to focus on three criteria when assessing the various presses: quality, speed and cost."

Choice of 19 press types

In mid-2005 the two owners of Gazelle went through manufacturers' offers with a fine tooth-comb. "What were the technical specs? It had to be a B2 press that offered outstanding value for money. A press with a raft of extras and a high level of automation. Run lengths are diminishing while the number of print jobs is increasing, so we needed to address this trend," says Verbiest.

Press operator Bram Wynants (l) and Hugo Heirman of KBA dealer Naca with one of Gazelle's typical products

After ploughing their way through a pile of data and consulting the various suppliers, the two men whittled the list down to three. "A second-hand press wasn't viable because printing is our core business, even though we run a pre-press department that can handle small jobs. We wanted a brand-new press with cutting-edge technology because this was the only way to remain competitive."

Press operator Bram Wynants at the delivery of the Performa 74 four-colour

John Verbiest continues: "Fast makeready and job changes, user-friendly handling and consistently stable colour were key. Also, we definitely wanted a press with double-size impression cylinders because this ensures that the sheet is always fully printed prior to transfer, which improves the quality of the image."

JDF networking with pre-press

Verbiest and van Ongevalle took one of their press operators to the shortlisted manufacturers for print tests. "After that, it was easy. The KBA Performa delivered outstanding results in every single aspect we tested. For us, the fact that we're the first printing firm in Benelux to install this press is immaterial."

A touch-screen monitor at the Performa 74 delivery affords direct access to all press functions

What does John Verbiest mean by a raft of extras? "We have an efficient pre-press with ctp and wanted to network it with CIP4 in preparation for JDF, which is what we've done. We also wanted an additional set of ink drums so as to eliminate the risk of ghosting, and these were included in the package. The inline IR dryer addresses a demand for faster turnaround, because it allows the sheets to be finished must sooner. On top of this the Performa 74 has enabled us to expand our product range to include stock up to 0.6 mm thick."

Performa satisfies all expectations

The press arrived in mid-November 2005 and was running flawlessly within two weeks. "The Performa satisfies all our expectations," says John Verbiest delightedly.

"The double-size impression cylinders guarantee the high quality we demand." John Verbiest

"We can now serve a much bigger market, turnaround is much faster and the quality is superb. Investing in a new press is one of the biggest decisions a printer can make, so there's no room for error. I believe the Performa is the ideal press for our purposes, and this belief is confirmed anew every single day."