Michael Schulz, Director

SOS Print + Media& Ricoh

We have been very happy with the workload

and ability of the Pro C900.

”‘‘

SOS Print + Media is one of the largest independently owned printing companies in New South Wales. That growth has come from many years’ digital experience shared by the three owners.

BackgroundHeadquartered in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria, not far from

Sydney airport, SOS Print + Media employs 170 staff and turns over

approximately $30m a year, making it one of the largest independently

owned printing companies in New South Wales.

Directors Andy Faber-Castell, Michael Peel and Bob Gardner founded

SOS in 1976, having identified opportunities in the fast print market

and the potential of developing technologies: all three shared a

common background in laser printing at Xerox. Whilst today there

is no shortage of conventional offset printing capability at SOS –

including two 10-colour presses – an increasing volume of work

is being produced digitally on an impressive arsenal of technology

supplied by Xeikon, Océ, Kodak and now Ricoh.

The challengeSOS director, Michael Schulz, is somewhat of a digital printing

evangelist and says approximately 40 per cent of the company’s

production by value is now printed digitally and he expects this

percentage to grow rapidly because digital ticks all the right boxes.

The company was looking for a device that would integrate with their

workflow and extend their digital capabilities.

The solutionIn January 2010, SOS took delivery of Ricoh’s first entry into the

production colour market – the Pro C900. The device was brought in

to complement the output of the company’s workhorse Xeikon 5000.

“We have been very happy with the workload and ability of the

Pro C900,” says Schulz, noting that the unit had produced around

500,000 impressions in its first five months, printing “colour books,

covers, flyers, short run colour, a bit of variable data and mail-outs”.

Schulz says SOS looked at other contenders in the the digital

production colour space, but went with the relatively new Ricoh

solution for good reasons. “We looked at the Pro C900 at Print 09

in Chicago last September and found it to be a solid, sturdy engine,

capable of delivering good quality in register on a variety of substrates

up to 300gsm.”

To ensure the device could handle SOS’s demanding production

environment, they tested their own business cards, incorporating

as they do, quite complex QR (Quick Response) codes and with the

requirement that they could be cello-glazed after printing. The Ricoh

Pro C900 passed all the tests and has quickly become an important

and productive part of the SOS digital armoury.

“The device is dependable in its ability to offer maximum uptime while

also demonstrating high accuracy in repeatable colour jobs,” Schulz

says. It was important for print output from the Ricoh Pro C900 to be

calibrated to match that of the Xeikon and this was achieved with a

minimum of fuss.

Commenting on Ricoh’s entry into the high end colour space, Schulz

says, “Although they are a reasonably new player to the digital

production market, we saw their engine capability and service offering

as a good fit for our digital print requirements.”

A significant growth area for SOS has been books on demand, with

publishers ordering anything from a single copy up to 900 of a

particular title; digital technology empowers the company to meet the

demands of publishers quickly and to the highest standards of quality

without waste.

Schulz expects the demand for just-in-time (JIT) production to continue

to grow quickly and he and fellow members of the SOS management

team are determined to maintain their lead in offering what the

market demands.

Whilst print remains an important and profitable part of the SOS

offering, logistics and other services are growing in importance for

the company and its customers. For example, SOS provides some print

services to the NSW Cancer Council; but it also provides warehousing

and shipping facilities for the council’s sunblock.

Dependable supportSOS staff received training on the Pro C900 at Ricoh’s Printing

Innovation Centre in the Sydney CBD and since the installation, Ricoh’s

Ricoh Pro C900 boosts

digital colour at SOS Print + Media

We looked at the Pro C900 at Print 09 in Chicago last September and found it to be a solid, sturdy engine, capable of delivering good quality in register on a variety of substrates up to 300gsm.

”

‘‘

Apart from going solventless in the print area, using vegetable inks,

and recycling paper and toner, the company also boasts the first large

scale installation of LED lighting in a manufacturing environment in

Australia. LED lights replaced fluorescent in SOS factory areas with

a resulting reduction in power consumption of approximately 30 per

cent. This has produced a large number of carbon credits with 149

tonnes of CO2 emissions saved each year.

Ricoh’s own environmental efforts have received international

recognition, with the company listed as one of the 100 Most

Sustainable Corporations each year since the list’s inception in 2005.

With zero-waste-to-landfill achieved for all their production plants

since 2002, they have set an aggressive target of reducing their

environmental footprint collectively to 1/8th of their year 2000 level by

2050. In Australia, Ricoh has been certified to ISO 14001 nationally

since 2002. They have partnered with Sims E-recycling to create a

machine recycling program which ensures that devices are recycled in

Australia with up to a 98% recovery rate. Over 420 tonnes of material

from landfill has been diverted through the company’s Consumables

Recycling Program, which was Australia’s first – established in 2001.

production specialists have been on call to support SOS with its

investment. “If we have needed help, Ricoh have responded quickly

with support to ensure we’re getting everything we need,”

says Schulz. “The versatility of the Pro C900 means it can handle

anything we give it. Because it runs so well, we are putting more

work on it. It’s competitively priced and is well supported by Ricoh’s

Production team.”

Getting greenerLooking ahead, and when asked if SOS is likely to invest more in offset

technology, Schulz is adamant. “Hopefully not,” he says. “It is more

likely that we will invest in digital print finishing capability. Digital

automation is a priority, particularly in the area of book production,

some elements of which still require too much human input.”

SOS promotes its green credentials heavily and is mindful of

manufacturers’ claims when investing in new technology.

Certified to ISO 14001, SOS is audited regularly and always looking

to be ‘greener’.

Director of SOS Print + Media, Michael Schulz

Ricoh Australia Pty. Ltd. 8 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086. Phone: 1800 181 002 Fax: 02 8977 1100 Web: ricoh.com.auRicoh New Zealand Pty. 60 Stanley Street, Parnell, Auckland New Zealand. Phone 0800 2 Ricoh (0800 2 74264) Fax: 09 915 1401 Web: ricoh.co.nz

Product code: B950530 Printed on a Ricoh colour production device