One year after installing a Versafire EP from Heidelberg, Riddle Press, a family-owned wholesale company in Beaverton, Oregon, continues to expand offerings and increase productivity in the short-run packaging market thanks to its latest installations of the Heidelberg Easymatrix 106 CS and Diana Go 85.
The Easymatrix replaces an older die-cutter that only supported smaller formats. Processing boards as thick as 78 pt. and up to 29.4” x 41.7” format, it is large enough to handle all sheets that are produced on the Versafire EP. The Easymatrix runs at speeds of up to 7,700 sheets per hour and provides short makeready times thanks to the intuitive touchscreen interface, along with the motorized cutting pressure adjustment and quick-lock technology for dies and stripping tools. With a full 41” format and non-stop functionality in the feeder and delivery, longer runs can also be processed efficiently.
At less than 33 ft in length, the new Diana Go 85 is the ideal solution for Riddle Press thanks to the folder-gluer’s small footprint. It produces cartons at speeds up to 250 m/min (820 ft/min) and a width up to 33.4” and handles a variety of carton styles including straight-line and lock bottom, as well as special styles with attachments, such as envelopes or even presentation folders. Riddle Press chose a Baumer hhs Xtend3 extrusion glue system for the machine, which allows the company to add quality control in the future to meet customer needs.
Installed at the beginning of 2019, the Versafire EP was purchased to facilitate the expansion into packaging – specifically low quantity jobs. Supporting 24 pt. stock, the Versafire EP with Prinect Digital Front End (DFE) as its backbone, came at just the right time. Printing at 4,800 x 2,400 dpi and 135 letter pages per minute, the Versafire EP is still a staple in Riddle Press’s production workflow to this day.
According to Nick Adolphson, Manager of Riddle Press, “The Versafire EP is doing everything we need to do and more. It runs, doesn’t break down, and keeps our customers happy. Plus, it works seamlessly with the Easymatrix 106 CS and Diana Go 85, which is perfect as we continue to expand our capabilities in the short-run packaging market.”
