Don’t Be Afraid to Innovate

Our printing company is in the midst of an extensive project for the modernisation of its facilities. New production technologies were purchased in 2021, and they were installed throughout 2022. We spoke with Tomáš Blažek, head of our production plant in Medlov, about how to successfully exchange machines while running full steam.

What technologies are we talking about?

Machines from Bobst for the production of packaging were installed in our packaging hall. The bookbinding hall has added new machines for the production of printed materials: a cutting centre, a saddle stitching production line and an automated folding machine. And the printing hall has gained a new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL.

That sounds like quite the operation!

For a year and a half our work lives were governed by the “installation timeline”, and production ran nonstop alongside that. We had to prepare for downtimes in both printing and package production during the installation of the machines. The most important criterion was to never put our orders at risk. We couldn’t have done it without close cooperation with customers, sales, and our suppliers of technologies and raw materials. We stocked up on materials and introduced nonstop weekend operation. We kept producing our current and future orders alongside this, which strained our human resources, machines and warehouses.

Did any problems appear during installation?

Naturally some unexpected situations did occur. During one installation our cooling system broke down, and then one time we had to improvise when some parts were delivered late. One bonus here was the experience we gained from these situations; we were always prepared to predict and react. The most demanding task was replacing the printing machines, which are among our largest pieces of equipment. The task of installing a new printing machine twenty-four metres in length while also dismantling the current machine was originally planned to take five weeks but was finished a full week earlier.

How did it all turn out?

The project for the installation of all our machines lasted 16 months and went on while our printing site was in full operation, but some customers didn’t even notice. Thanks to the new technologies, we at POINT CZ can offer our customers more efficient production of both packaging and printed materials. Price and quality are what matter the most, and thanks to innovations, we can help customers with both – and we have more to come. Work on the construction of a photovoltaic power plant is ongoing at our site, as well as work on a new transformer station, including a high voltage connection. Another phase in our modernisation is the construction of a high-capacity robotised warehouse hall that will quadruple our warehouse capacity; its completion is planned for 2025.

Video from the installation of the new machine

Text: Markéta Švábová, Tomáš Blažek