Investments

Elanders keeps a keen eye on industry trends that affect not only our business, but that of our customers. Understanding these trends helps us to further develop our services and tighten our processes.

Production Enhancements

In early 2019, we added a Ricoh InfoPrint 500 MP Inkjet with a Hunkeler Roll-to-Stack solution. Shortly after, we added an HP T240 Color Inkjet. Analyzing our current volumes and product mix, as well as the fact that this technology is where our industry is headed, influenced our investment decision.

Features and Benefits:

  • Reliability
  • Reduced downtime
  • More economical short to medium runs
  • All-digital production process
  • No make-ready

Seeing a steady growth in our short to medium range jobs, we decided to add two unique binding machines to improve productivity and flexibility.

Kolbus KM200 PUR Binder

Features and Benefits:

  • Adjusts automatically to varying book-block thicknesses
  • Downstream, in-line, 3-knife trimmer also adjusts to book-block thickness
  • In-line sequential feeder for manual feed
  • Zero make-ready
  • PUR glue for flexible, lay-flat binding
  • PUR can adhere to a wide variety of substrates
  • High production reliability

BQ-280 PUR Perfect Binder

Features and Benefits:

  • Ideal for short-runs, and on-off orders
  • Quick and streamlined setup
  • PUR glue for flexible, lay-flat binding
  • PUR can adhere to a wide variety of substrates

Process Improvements

Enfocus Switch enables further unified workflows.
Switch allows us to:

  1. interconnect already automated processes that were previously silo’d
  2. eliminate unnecessary touch points
  3. automate complex action lists and notifications on process status.

5S Workplace Organization Process has been in place for several years at Elanders Americas, but has become more focused recently.

  • The 5S team looks at all aspects of the target area including environment, tooling, and positioning
  • The flow of materials and worker movements are mapped
  • Unnecessary items are eliminated
  • Redundancies are identified
  • Streamlined and expedited process flows are developed
  • Placement of materials and tools are determined by ergonomics and frequency of need
  • Our end goal is a safer, more efficient, and organized area to improve quality and reduce waste

Environmental

We are in the process of converting all areas, including our parking lot, to LED lighting. We worked closely with consultants from our energy provider to determine the right type of lighting for each work area. LED lighting requires significantly less power and the bulbs have a life span that is significantly longer than incandescent bulbs.