Digital Graphic Communications (DGC) students had their first chance to experience SAIT’s new cutting edge four-colour printing press on Friday, Jan. 22.
Peter Masch, the DGC Instructor at SAIT Polytechnic stands proudly in front of the new Heidelberg Speedmaster 52.
This state of the art technology called the ‘Speedmaster SM 52’ was purchased from Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG, a German precision mechanical engineering company.
Willem Sijpheer, the academic chair of SAIT’s Journalism and DGC programs, first saw the Speedmaster 52 while WorldSkills Calgary 2009 held its international trades competition last September.
“We want to support students with the latest and best technology out there and the School of ICT really came and stepped up to the plate here,” Sijpheer said.
“It is very fast and very efficient, running at 13,000 copies an hour and whereas the older machine was only a two colour, this machine prints all four main colours in one pass.”
While the Speedmaster 52 is a sheet-fed offset printing press, producing as big as 14 by 20 inch products, it is going to be used predominantly for high-quality, multi-colour products, which are part of the DGC’s curriculum.
Sijpheer is also hoping to print the senior year Journalism students’ newspaper, The Weekly Albertan, on the new printing press, with Journalism and DGC students working together to produce the final product.
“Students will actually be making money for other students and we will keep the money in house,” he said.
“We want to use this machine for life jobs and I’m excited that we are able to have two programs working together.”
DGC instructor Peter Masch is excited for his students, as he has been working alongside Orest Bandurka , one of Heidelberg’s Instructors, who is based in Mississauga, Ont.
For the past few weeks, test runs and final corrections have been taking place before the first hands-on class. Masch has had many anxious students coming into the classroom inquiring about the new high-tech machine.
Although this press is small enough to be run by a single person, Masch is certain that all the students will have a chance to operate the new addition to the program and hopes that his students will graduate SAIT with a better understanding of the print production process.
“I think that this machine fits perfectly into the DGC program and will make it even more attractive for future students to take this program,” Masch said.
“The new machine will help us to introduce the students to the technology that is widely used in the industry now.”
Although the press normally retails for about $1 million, Sijpheer and other members of the SAIT community negotiated with Heidelberg and acquired the press at a significantly lower price.
This modern day equipment will not only give students a better chance for employment once they graduate from SAIT, but it will also give them a better understanding on just how much their institution is rooting for their success once they do get out in the field.
Heidelberg instructor Bandurka spent several days setting up the printing press and has confidence that the Speedmaster 52 is a great fit for SAIT.
“If you want to be current, this machine is current, and although this model came out in 1995, it has been constantly evolving,” Bandurka said.
“It is one of the smaller ones we make, so it will be good for SAIT students.”
The press now sits in the basement K wing level in the Senator Burns Building. It weighs about 11,020 pounds, is 19 feet long and six feet high. It is accompanied by one computer and many eager students who are ready to test it out.
