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GraphExpo_ShowDaily_September_26_2016

Kirk-Rudy’s First-Class Mail Equipment In Deliver—The Mailing & Fulfi llment Center, Kirk-Rudy (Booth 1771) is demonstrating the breadth of its inkjet addressing systems, and debuting a new piezo inkjet unit. Founded 1967 by Harry Kirk, an engineer formerly with label printing pioneer Cheshire, Kirk-Rudy is now taking its inkjet printing solutions beyond addressing and labeling, thanks to the company’s embrace of UV-curable inks. Kirk-Rudy’s high-end piezo print system is the Phoenix, based on a 4.25" printhead. The introduction of UV inks for the Phoenix allows it to print on a variety of substrates beyond envelopes and labels—one application is the plastic stakes used by nurseries to identify plants. “UV allows users to get into more specialty printing,” says Jim Williams, Director of Marketing for Kirk-Rudy. “When you have a UV Phoenix, you can virtually print on anything. If you can feed it through, you can print on it. It expands the range of substrates you can print on.” The company is also demonstrating a brand-new piezo inkjet system that is slightly smaller than the Phoenix, with a two-inch printhead. Applications for the new machine include addressing as well as things like bar codes, serial numbers, and expiration dates. Kirk-Rudy is also showing some old favorites, such as its KolorJet, a super-fast four-color inkjet printer that, said Williams, can print a box of #10 envelopes in about a minute. This device is also fi nding a niche in some new, specialty applications. “We have several applications with companies like Shutterfl y where you get greeting cards online and can have the envelopes addressed. KolorJet is doing well in those operations.” Then there is Kirk-Rudy’s entry level NetJet thermal inkjet machine. “When printers are getting into mailing, they tend to buy that machine because it’s less expensive and it’s easy to use,” said Williams. A common upgrade path is for companies to start out with the NetJet and, when volume starts to pick up, transition to a Phoenix. Beyond printing, Kirk-Rudy also has a tabbing machine that will “wafer” three sides of a mail piece in one pass. (Necessity was the mother invention: when the USPS introduced automated sorting equipment, it required that folded mail pieces be tabbed on all three sides instead of just one. Hence the introduction of a three-headed tabber.) In addition to the Phoenix, the new two-inch piezo inkjet machine, the KolorJet, the NetKet, and the tabber, Kirk-Rudy is also showing its WaveJet, which lets users print variable text, barcodes, and graphics on a wide variety of coated stocks, including aqueous and most UV coatings. In addition to the the and speed and print quality, the company also stresses the construction of its equipment. “We like to focus on the quality of our bases,” said Williams. “We believe that, in order to lay down a quality inkjet image at highspeeds, you need a heavy duty, quality built base to support the high demands of a production environment.” Kirk-Rudy also manufactures virtually all of its equipment stateside in its Woodstock, GA, factory. Kirk-Rudy’s high-end piezo print system is the Phoenix, based on a 4.25" printhead. Regional Printing Operation Experiences Industrious Growth after Purchasing Automated Equipment Before being paired with Spiral (Booth 2201), the Cattaraugus, Allegany, Erie, and Wyoming counties branch of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), a NY State-wide association that provides educational experiences to high school juniors and seniors as well as Special Education services and teacher training, was in search of assistance with a fairly minor printing operation. Previously all BOCES sent materials to be printed and bound elsewhere, but Michael Graf, the Information Technology Director of the Cattaraugus and Allegany counties (CABOCES), soon began to consider the outcome of printing in-house. With limited experience Graf researched the cost impacts, options, and needs to develop the requirements specifi cations. After consideration to include the production time of all their materials, the James Burn Alpha-Doc MK4 Automatic Punch and JBUSA CB30QS Coil Inserter/ Crimper were then purchased through Spiral. Soon the operation began to grow. Internal distribution (L to R) Kim Surveil, Graphic Artist; Lisa Nianiatu, Communications Specialist; John Gethicker, Communications Specialist; Any Moot, Print Shop Operator; and Jen Rickert, Graphic Designer. of the freshly punched and coiled materials created more opportunity, freedom, and control over CABOCES’ own materials. Circulation increased, and the cost of production of printing in-house versus elsewhere was a much more viable option. The very fi rst in-house printing job yielded a whopping 17,000 booklets for the districts BOCES serviced, a formidable number from a man who humbly refers to himself as a “rookie at printing”. Yet the success numbers speak for themselves. Graf emphasizes that a nimble and dedicated operation is key. Spiral’s automated equipment continues to help maintain a constant quota with consistent quality that assures outside districts will not need to look elsewhere for their printing needs. The fi rst year printing with Spiral’s equipment generated $350,000 and continued to double yearly, with the current return reaching upwards of $1.8 million—not bad for just a handful of employees working this production. In this operation, no profi t is kept; any surplus that is gained at the end of the fi scal year is put back into the local CABOCES school district to retain funding and growth. Printing in-house allows for a more industrious operation and also permits available money to be given back to the districts—an exciting all-win occurrence. Traditional printing jobs are usually short term and will cost more in the long run when done on the outside. But with Graf running his print shop in-house, a far more cost effective model for the tax payer dollar is created. There are 60 to 70 sites outside Graf’s own 22 serviced BOCES districts that utilize his print shop. Due to this growth Graf reached out once again to fi nd faster, more effi cient automated equipment and was subsequently matched with the JBUSA CF-30 Plastic Coil Forming System, the James Burn EX610 High Speed Automatic Punch, and an additional CB30QS Inserter. Despite the popularity and success of CABOCES’ in-house printing job, Graf stated that the reason he started production was to “make a difference”. It is not diffi cult to see that is indeed what he is doing; such quality service cannot be faked. “I won’t let a customer down,” Graf says. “We do what it takes to provide the quality that is expected of us.” 24 | September 26, 2016 | GRAPH EXPO 16 Offi cial Show Daily | PrintingNews.com


GraphExpo_ShowDaily_September_26_2016
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