08/15/2005

Bell Incorporated Announces Delivery of First Variable Sleeve Offset Press in North America

“A breakthrough” in folding carton printing technology


Sioux Falls, SD, August 15, 2005 – The future of folding cartons just reached the shores of America.

Today Bell Incorporated announced that it took delivery of the first Variable Sleeve Offset Press (VSOP) for folding cartons in North America. Manufactured by Drent Goebel, of Germany, the VSOP is expected to be installed and fully operational by the middle of October.

“The VSOP combines the quality of offset printing with the cost advantages of high-speed web technology,” says Mark Graham, CEO of Bell Incorporated. “Add to that negligible changeover costs, and the VSOP represents a breakthrough in printing technology.”

The key to the VSOP is the new, lightweight variable sleeve. The variable sleeve allows job changeovers at a fraction of the cost of former attempts of offset web presses. As a result, the VSOP delivers offset quality with significant cost and time savings vs. sheet-fed offset presses.

One reason for these savings is speed. “Our VSOP will be rated to run at 1300 lineal feet per minute,” says Bell Operations Manager Ron Sauers. “We will be able to complete a typical packaging job in less than half the time of sheet-fed offset presses—with no loss in quality.”

Because of the web-based platform, the VSOP also eliminates the need for separate sheeting, die-cutting and scrapping operations required by sheet-fed presses. As a result, it consolidates the offset production process from five steps to only two (printing and finishing).

“When you increase speed by orders of magnitude and eliminate steps in the production process, it has big implications for cost and pricing,” notes Ben Graham, Director of Sales and Marketing.

The VSOP also offers previously unseen capabilities in helping companies compete at the shelf. Because the lightweight, variable sleeves are inexpensive and take only weeks to be delivered, companies to get to shelf or respond to market conditions much faster. And for customers who simply need to change packaging graphics, “We can put new plates on the press in the morning and ship product by the end of the day,” according to Ben Graham.

Bell will enhance its VSOP with a number of value-added converting options to further help customers compete at the shelf. These enhancements include two flexography units for inline backside printing and coating, electron beam inks, sequential and random number inkjet printing and peel off labels.

“Our VSOP will be perfectly suited for food and other packaging applications that require quality graphics and/or a variety of on-package promotional options,” says Graham.

According to Rob Schellekens of Drent Goebel, Bell Incorporated was the natural choice to commercialize the VSOP technology in North American. “We wanted a partner in North America who had experience with the web platform and a track record of bringing new technology to market. Bell was the perfect fit.”

About Bell Incorporated:

Bell Incorporated is one of the 20 largest independent folding carton manufacturers in the country. By investing in high-speed converting technology and maintaining a lean, entrepreneurial organization, the company has established one of the lowest cost structures in the industry. Major customers include Kraft, John Morrell, McDonald's, GE, UPS, USPS,
DHL and Tyco Plastics. The company is headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. and has offices in Chicago. For more information, visit www.bell-inc.com .