Imprimerie Bellêmoise (Renard Group), located in Bellême (61) in the Perche Natural Park, started its first printing press in the spring of 2019 sheet-fed offset press Koenig & Bauer a Rapida 105 five-colour LED-UV Rapida 105 with varnish .
Anthony Chartier, Production Manager at Bellêmoise Printing, explains his choice:
"?Investir was first of all a necessity to sustain our activity. Then the objective was to diversify our product offer and to distinguish ourselves from our colleagues by very technical products with high added value, hence our choice of LED-UV and a group of varnishes. You have to get out of your comfort zone to be successful.?»
The press is complemented by the qualiTronic ColorControl on-board color control system 4K which measures each sheet of the print run and regulates inline inking in dynamic mode.
A more global investment project
The acquisition of the Rapida is part of a more comprehensive investment project that also includes the purchase of a bograma cutting platen a h&H folder-gluer and document inserter and a new CTP .
"?Pour be able to expand our product range, a new offset press was necessary, but not sufficient. We also had to upgrade our finishing equipment in order to be able to offer our customers innovative products.?»
Better productivity and flexibility
Thanks to the Rapida's special equipment, the printer explains that he can easily print on coated papers, uncoated papers, on creative papers, out of cardboard and on laminated media . It can now carry out sealed brochures with document insertion, of the vitrophany, or folding boxes .
"?La demand from our customers for these new products is consequent. We subcontract much less than before and thanks to the coating unit we can produce coatings such as drip-off that bring real added value to our products.?»
LED-UV technology also brings to the printing industry a significant gain in workflow and lead times.
"?Comme drying is immediate, we are now able to reduce our throughput times on production processes and for example deliver a 500-copy brochure in less than 24 hours. This changes our life and that of our customers.?»
Printer emphasises the ecological advantages of UV-LEDs
Equipped with the various certifications and labels attesting to a sustainable development approach - Imprim'Vert, PEFC and ISO 9001 - the Renard group would like its new press to be part of this approach.
"?Quand we learned that Citeo has been applying a 5% malus to UV printing since 2019. We were approached because we really care about ecology and because we are convinced of the ecological advantages of this technology, which has enabled us to reduce our energy consumption, eliminate powder and use less coated paper. We then made enquiries and, in collaboration with our various suppliers, we obtained INGEDE 11 certificates which attest to the good de-crackability of LED-UV printed paper, which enabled us to communicate to our customers that they were exempt from the 5% malus.?»
A printing company founded more than a century ago
Imprimerie Bellêmoise was founded in 1898 by Georges Lavayer. Originally, the company specialized in notary's posters and typographical city works. Bought out in the 1960s, the company then expanded and moved to the premises it still occupies today. The printing works, which now has 24 employees, has been part of the Renard Group since 2003 (3 production units and 70 people).
