You are in:
GIANT STEPS!
Change is afoot at the Midlands based solutions provider S P Group Ltd who have recently installed a Chim 92 screen cleaning system supplied and supported by Vision Supplies Ltd.
The production team, headed by Adrian Kelly, Production Director, identified sometime ago that an area requiring improvement within their screen process department was screen cleaning. A company under the St. Ives banner, S P Group have always been at the forefront of technology and working practices with a keen eye on the environmental issues surrounding there print processes.
Having targeted the screen cleaning department as an area for improvement the team created a ‘wish list' of how they wanted to develop and improve screen cleaning, to create a more efficient process flow, lowering running costs and reducing the environmental impact of the overall process whilst recycling as much of the products and packaging from within the department as possible. As the largest supplier of point of sale in the UK, S P Group have a veracious appetite for consumable products requiring continuous support from the supply chain.
S P Group had previously purchased a solvent based screen cleaning machine, the results from which, although comparable with other solvent systems, lacked the performance and cost in use required in todays market. Understandably S P were hesitant of re-investing significant capital in new equipment without a lengthy consultation period with the production team and any prospective suppliers.
Mark Deeley, Pre and Post Press Supervisor, carefully considered the options available in the market place, having discounted various machines and their respective supply chains early on Mark arranged demonstrations of equipment. He takes up the story, "We were confident as a company that our existing screen cleaning machine was as up to date as many of our competitors', but the results achieved through it meant that once the ink and stencil had been removed from the screen mesh 100% of our frames had to be anti-stained before re-entering the production loop, this process is inefficient and costly."
Mark arranged a demonstration of the Chim 92 range of equipment and chemicals by contacting Vision Supplies, he continues, "Unlike many of their competitors Vision demonstrated a machine to us that was over 3 years old, a machine that had been used in production from the date of installation and had cleaned more than 25,000 frames. It was clear that the chemical in the machine was near the end of its life cycle but the results achieved were quite simply stunning. We've all been there when we're being wooed by potential suppliers demonstrating new machines with unused chemical to show the equipment in the best possible light, but Vision's approach was very different. The demonstration presented what is being achieved in production day in day out by there systems. The presentations were informative and professional which is why we asked their Managing Director, Paul Waterton, to analyse our existing process and present the options available to us from Chim 92."
Paul Waterton, explains , "We were delighted to receive the invitation by the S P Group to analyse their screen cleaning process, they were operating in a manner very similar to many companies, producing a high volume of screen frames using what would best be described as a ‘standard' screen cleaning machine applying oil based solvents and conventional strippers in a very inefficient manner. The fact that 100% of the frames required post treatment indicates the performance achieved by this type of system.
Over a period of many months we collated and analysed information supplied to us to calculate the performance improvements and cost savings that would be made by installing one of our Chim 92 machines. We analysed in detail the volumes of chemical products currently being consumed along with analysis of the VOC and COD discharges, the results seen for all the processes were not uncommon in our industry but nonetheless could be improved upon in virtually every area. Our recommendation was to supply the highest specification M4 screen cleaning system, this machinery applies Chim 92 chemistry in three of its four units, the fourth being used for water to rinse the frame before the screens are fully dried. This system offers significant benefits in a number of key areas."
Adrian Kelly, Production Director, S P Group, "Vision presented to me a comprehensive analysis of our process which detailed comparative figures from our existing process to their recommendation of the Chim 92 system. At each stage of the analysis and presentation we pushed Vision hard to verify all the information supplied. Investment funding is an area that requires significant time and effort to ensure that the right capital purchases are made, Vision were the only company that presented the level of detail we required to make the decision to invest. The process was fully backed by Vision's guarantees on the consumption of chemical, performance and cost reductions, to my knowledge no other company offers the type of guarantees on screen cleaning equipment supplied as Vision do. The environmental benefit of using a system of ‘containment' versus discharge are significant, reducing the manual anti-staining process by over 95% and purchasing VOC free chemistry in recyclable containers further adds to the benefits achieved. This combination makes a very positive statement as to the ongoing commitment our company is making to improving the working environment, reducing waste discharge and increasing where possible recycling."
Chim 92 - A Containment Process
Unlike many of the screen cleaning machines in the market place Chim 92's chemicals are fully recycled within the equipment. In each model of the range, from two to four modules, the chemicals used are pumped from the module through fine filtration systems before being recycled continually. Frames enter the equipment and pass through a number of mechanical processes to almost eliminate any chemical cross-contamination which means that the discharge from the equipment to drain is limited to waste water with COD readings which typically average below 3,000 mg/ltr. The use of the Chim 92 system to remove the stained image from the mesh massively reduces the discharge of diluted anti-stain chemicals to the drain which are associated with their use during manual application. Using chemicals which are VOC free generate their own benefits and the reduction in anti-staining extends the mesh life considerably, something Vision had to guarantee to the S P Group.
Adrian Kelly continues, "The calculations of cost reductions and the benefits achieved by containing and recycling the chemical products and packaging presented to us made the decision easy. Visions offer to loan a Chim 92 M3 machine to us while our new M4 was being manufactured meant that we could achieve our goals much earlier than originally forecast. The equipment has now been installed for 6 weeks and our new machine is due for delivery in February '09, and so far I'm very happy to confirm the system has delivered everything promised."
Benefit Upon Benefit
Mark Deeley's involvement in the project was instrumental, it spanned being involved in the initial calculations through to overseeing the machinery in production, he continues, "The equipment has had quite a remarkable effect on the department, as well as giving us extra capacity we have almost eliminated the need to anti-stain meshes. The area within the department is a much cleaner and more pleasant place to work, the number of screen frames we required previously has decreased dramatically as has our consumption of mesh, the volume of chemical products has also seen a significant reduction as has the waste packaging we had to dispose of."
The projection for the S P Group's annual reduction in consumables when compared to their original machine and chemical products makes very interesting reading, the volume of chemical products will reduce by more than 25,000 litres, their screen frame stretching will reduce by 50% as will the disposal of the used polyester mesh which is the equivalent area of over 5 football pitches! More than 1400 - 5 litre plastic containers and 140 - 200 litre steel drums will no longer be required as all the chemicals supplied by Vision are in recyclable 1,000 litre IBC containers, waste packaging and transport are also reduced. The financial benefits calculated are of course subject to confidentiality but well worth the investment.
Paul Waterton summarises the investment made by the S P Group, "Working with the S P team has been an absolute pleasure, they are clearly focused on the direction they wish the company to take and have been analytical in improving a process in their business that many companies choose to ignore. As a result they will achieve high cost reductions while reducing the impact of their current process on the environment. We are delighted to become a partner in their supply chain and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial working relationship."
For more information on the Chim 92 range of equipment and chemical products contact Vision Supplies Ltd Tel: 0113 2008270, Fax: 0113 2777282, e-mail custserv@visionsupplies.co.uk.
