The backbone of Kalmar Kuvert is, as the name implies – the manufacturing of special envelopes from sheets. Though other areas in their print production must also be kept up to date. A new Duplo system for collating and folding both offset and digitally printed sheets now runs at high production. They have also made the purchase of a machine for cutting, creasing and perforating business cards and packaging.
At the beginning of 2021, Kalmar Kuvert received its new saddle-stitching system, the Duplo iSaddle and a fully automatic machine for cutting, creasing and perforation, the Duplo DC746, the investment amounted to approximately SEK 2 million. It seemed natural to update because the old bookletmaker system began to age and it was time to change to a new one with its updated collating system to make blocks and registers, for example.
- "What we stuck to was Quadient's Duplo system. It is quite flexible both when it comes to digital and offset. You do not lock yourself in, but it handles both. It can also drive horizontal A4. It made us feel that it was time to update” says Ulf Andersson, Marketing Manager at Kalmar Kuvert, and he highlights the machine's flexibility and stability ”You can have 10,000 brochures that are offset printed or 500 brochures that are digitally printed. It does not matter”. He says that the coating has been good in the machine since it was installed ”We are very happy with the machine. Above all, the set-up times are so incredibly short. Quadient goes into its marketing with the fact that it takes a maximum of 60 seconds, and that's true. It takes no time to readjust the machine for a new job."
Organic Growth
The brochure production business has grown organically for Kalmar Envelope. As a supplier to other printing companies, some of whom may have thrown out their offset machines, printing, folding and clamping brochures comes with the purchase.
- "This means that as an old, well-known supplier we get quite a lot of these jobs as well. Then we have some public procurement."
To name a fairly large procurement, Ulf Andersson mentions a framework agreement with Kammarkollegiet which they won together with a group of other printing companies.
If they were to cling to really large volumes on an even basis, it is not the right machine to choose. Certainly, it is not uncommon for them to cling to an order for 100,000 or produce 4,500 16-sided A4s.
- ”For us, it is enough because we do not have the volume that we need a higher speed. We also don’t really have the printing press to be able to run both sides either,” he says and refers to the four-colour sheet offset press that functions for the large printing volumes. ”Had it instead been a question of an eight-colour press that can print on both sides of the sheet, it would have required greater capacity and in that case, it would be relevant with faster clamping. For the smaller volumes, the digital press complements Kodak Nexpress at Kalmartryckeriet.”
Running a lot of business cards
The other machine installed in the same facility, the Duplo Docucutter DC-746 is a digital machine for cutting, creasing and perforating. It has a speed of up to 3,000 sheets per hour and handles 110 to 350 grams of paper thickness. The machine is also available with a folding module.
- We run an incredible amount of business cards in it, but there may also be some packaging in the future.
Kalmar Kuvert currently has 29 employees. In a normal year, they have a turnover of SEK 45 million. In the pandemic year 2020, there was a 10% drop in sales. The recovery has already shown itself.
- Now we are back again on the 2019 figures so we are probably going towards 45 million in turnover.
Kalmar Envelope Invests In a Range of New Products
Pre-Translated Text & Photo: Claes Nordström for Sign & Print Sweden
