Kingery Printing Company Gains Flexibility, Expands Digital Offerings with Heidelberg’s Versafire EP

Mike Kingery, president, Kingery Printing, notes that with the Heidelberg Versafire EP, he no longer has to think about quality when deciding which press to send work to.

Kingery Printing Company (KPC), a family-owned company in Effingham, Ill., installed a Versafire EP from Heidelberg (Booth 10143) to satisfy its short-run workload and provide the flexibility it needs to allocate jobs between its digital and offset equipment.

With goals to expand its market share, KPC searched for a new digital press that would increase its productivity and efficiency, while maintaining the high quality that its customers expect. Printing with a resolution of 4,800x2,400 dpi and a new toner formula, the Versafire EP stood out amongst other digital equipment because of its ability to match color to KPC’s Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor press.

“We no longer have to think about quality when we are deciding which press the work should go on,” says Mike Kingery, president of Kingery Printing Company. “The Versafire EP gives us the flexibility to use quantity as a determining factor, not quality. If the job fits on the SM 52, it will go there. If it makes more sense to put the job on the Versafire, we are equally confident printing the work there knowing that we are going to get the most cost-effective outcome with the same result either way.”

The Versafire EP will mostly focus on short-run static and variable-data saddle-stitched work, which the plockmatic booklet maker at the end of the digital press will produce. According to Kingery, “Previously, we would have to print on the offset press, and then put it on the folder or stitcher as a separate operation. With the plockmatic booklet maker on the Versafire EP, our material is folded and stapled, allowing everything to be finished inline.”

Running at speeds up to 135 letter pages per minute, and printing up to 13x49" sheets, the Versafire EP supports 24-pt. stock plus a variety of synthetics, allowing KPC to offer more to its customers.

The digital press includes a variety of advanced technologies, including the automatic high-precision inline registration, which actively controls every sheet so they are steered and adjusted automatically. Additionally, the inline sensor on the Versafire EP color calibrates the engine automatically — making this press simple to use for all printers.  According to Kingery, “It’s the technology inside the Versafire that is really going to make a difference for our customers.”

When KPC was making its final decision on the Versafire EP, it came down to the service. Offering the largest coverage in the industry, Heidelberg offers technical, financial, and performance services to ensure customers are getting the most from their equipment. The wide network means technicians are readily available to help customers in need. According to Kingery, “Heidelberg has demonstrated a very high commitment of service to this machine, which made the press all the more worthwhile.”

KPC is no stranger to Heidelberg’s service due to its existing equipment, which includes three Suprasetters, a Speedmaster SM 102-10P, a Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor, a Stahlfolder TX 96, and three POLAR 115 cutters. “We have a very strong relationship with Heidelberg, so we feel confident with the support we receive from them,” says Kingery. “They know everything about our operation, our equipment, and what we are trying to accomplish, so even if we don’t know the right question to ask them, they always know the right answer.”