Me & My: Heidelberg Suprasetter A-106

Describe your company.
Amol Associates is an 18-year-old print house catering to corporates in and around Pune, rest of Maharashtra and Goa for the marketing, branding and packaging needs. We have  three multicolour presses including the recently installed five-colour Heidelberg SM 74; plus in-house pre-press and post-press facilities.

What does the machine do?
The A-106 is an 8-up platesetter producing thermal plates. On an average, we produce 1,500 plates per month.

Why did you choose this particular system?
The market in Pune is evolving and is looking for quality print in quick time. The A-106 offered me a techno-savvy option which could cater to all my requirements.

Did you look at any other similar systems?
I did take a look at platesetters from Kodak and TechNova, but I was looking for a platesetter that would sync with the Heidelberg SM 74 press I had installed a few months ago. The Suprasetter fitted the bill.

Why did you make the purchase?
For its speed, it has a small footprint and has a commonality with my press and Prinect workflow.

What features do you particularly like?
The smart plate handling feature allows convenient and unobstructive plate loading.
 
How fast is it?
Its fast and can produced up to 24 plates per hour in sizes ranging from 370x323mm to 930x1140mm.

What is the quality like?
Its up to mark and once we have installed our proofer, we will also be using FM screening features of the A-106.

Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t?
Not really. Technology-wise it has all the features that a platesetter should have, if not better.

How reliable is it?
Very reliable. It hasn’t misfired because of the system.

Has it won you any new work?
Yes, it has. A lot of agencies and creative artists are attracted to brands. They ask for the type and brand of equipment you have. Because of the new Heidelberg set up, I have been able to add 160 new customers.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes I am attracting new customers. Some still send work to Mumbai, but they also get work done through my company. When I see our growth graph last year, I can say that money has started coming.

Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
No. The Heidelberg service engineers were very sure of what they wanted. The platesetter was up and running in four days.

What about the pre and after-sales service?
Every information I needed was provided to me.

Who do you think the machine is right for?
For those upcoming print house who desire quality.

Under what circumstances would you buy another?
If the flow of work continues as it does right now, our next Suprasetter should be in, in another four years.