Re-engineering the way to print success.

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Investing in equipment in the printing industry has become a necessity rather than a luxury but in a fragile world economy buying new is not an option for many.

Download - March 2020

The Gapp Flipping Book: Volume 10 Issue 1

Download - March 2020

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Investing in equipment in the printing industry has become a necessity rather than a luxury but in a fragile world economy buying new is not an option for many.

That is where Widasla comes in, in a printing world where pre-owned used to mean low-quality the company has changed that narrative.

Widasla Technologies was first founded in 2005, it has gradually experienced tremendous growth and has since become an international company. It started as an engineering company and following its distribution agreement with UK based pre-owned equipment supplier, BBR Graphics, in 2012 started stripping and shipping presses sold from South Africa to the world.

The company’s founder, Dou Fourie, started his engineering career in printing in 2000 and decided to go out on his own five years later. He now has 20 years’ experience on his shoulders, which combined with BBR Graphics’ John Worsley’s experience of over 20 years exhibits the weight behind Widasla. The company’s team of engineers often travel to parts of the world such as the United States of America (USA), Australia and Saudi Arabia to mention a few to strip and ship presses for BBR Graphics.

The local market had not been in a position to buy new equipment but was rather selling it to other markets, however, there has been a change in the past few years. Widasla has seen an increase in the purchase of pre-owned equipment in the South African market, this has led to the company sourcing machines from international markets.

“With the experience that we had gained in packing machines for export, we decided to take responsibility for the dismantling and packing of the machines. This allowed my team to travel around the world working on different machines which they did not have before this, Dou elaborates.

The company officially opened its new rebuilding facility in Alberton, Johannesburg last year. Widasla hosted an open day in November 2019 where they unveiled the facility and the machines they were rebuilding at the time. The facility came after the company saw a need for engineering services in South Africa.

“Previously, we were doing rebuilds onsite due to the small industry requirements and the slow market. As the market requirements developed we decided to set up the rebuilding facility. The rebuilding facility not only serves as a factory but as a home for us as well so that people know this is where we are and this is what we do,” Dou explains.

The rebuilding facility has already yielded results for Widasla as the company has rebuilt a Heidelberg SM 102 8P 2008 for Lebone Litho Printers.

“Working on this rebuild has shown me how important it is to keep the right aged equipment in perfect condition. Extending the lifespan on the right machine can be very beneficial to your business,” Dou advises.

Widasla has also recently ventured into the finishing equipment market. The company rebuilt and installed a 2007 Mueller Martini Acoro A7 PUR finishing machine from Scotland at Ndabase Printers.

Widasla and BBR Graphics installed more presses in Africa in 2019 than anywhere else in the world according to BBR Graphics Sales Director, John Worsley. The company has noticed a change in the trend in the South African market where, due to financial constraints, printers were selling their presses and closing down their businesses. Widasla has exported 72 presses in eight years and they have installed 12 presses in South Africa in 18 months. This shows that the South African market is gradually growing and purchasing equipment.

“BBR Graphics came to South Africa purely to export but South Africa was one of our best-selling markets in the world for us last year so it is a positive market,” John notes.

These are some of the highlights of the installations Widasla did in 2019:

01

Lebone Litho Printers​

The 2013 Heidelberg SX 102 8P with impress control and wallscreen at Lebone Litho Printers. The machine has a 125 impression count.

02

Iowa - USA

It has also installed the 2012 Heidelberg CD 102 5LX in Iowa in the USA, the press offers fast makeready times and 15 000 sheets per hour amongst other features. It has a 68 million impression count.

03

Pretoria - SA

The 2004 Heidelberg CD 74 5L with image control and an impression count of 100 million was installed at ZeroPlus in Pretoria.

04

Durban - SA

The 2008 Heidelberg XL 75 5 with impress control and a 68 million impression count. It was installed at Atlas Printers in Durban.

05

Ndabase Printing Solutions

The 2007 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 8P with a 27 million impression count which was installed at Ndabase Printing Solutions.

06

Texas - USA

The 2016 Heidelberg CD 102 6LX was rebuilt and installed in Texas in the USA.

07

Lebone Litho Printers.

The 2012 Heidelberg CD 102 5L with a 115 million impression count from France which was installed at Lebone Litho Printers.

08

Saudi Arabia

The 2015 Heidelberg SX 74 5LX with a 17 million impression count from France was installed in Saudi Arabia.

09

Ndabase Printers

A 2007 Mueller Martini Acoro A7 PUR finishing machine from Scotland at Ndabase Printers.

10

Golden Era Printers

The 2008 Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106 Foilstar from Italy, which was installed at Golden Era Printers.

Following Widalsa’s travels throughout the world, the company believes that it is currently all about efficiencies in the industry.

“It is like running a low-cost airline. You only make money when you are in the air, similarly, with printing, you only make money when you are printing. While the machine is still standing you are not making money so faster makereadys are of utmost importance because the more makereadys you can make the more jobs you can get done in a day. We are seeing a trend where shorter runs are required and long runs are virtually gone so you make your money from the shorter runs. On an old machine, it would probably take you about 45 minutes to make one makeready and with impress control, it takes you between eight to ten minutes. This is why companies need to get new technology to ensure the survival of their businesses,” Dou explains.

The South African market, according to Dou and John, has shown maturation in the past few years. Printers in South Africa are currently looking for the latest technology presses, whereas in markets such as India, they are looking for older presses.

“Your next investment is probably the most important investment you will make given where print is at the moment and you cannot afford to get it wrong, that is what we are seeing in the European/UK/US markets,” John says.

"Print remains unstable, packaging continues to grow year on year by approx. 30%, but in the Commercial sector it still remains challenging to raise our prices. Statistically, printers’ revenue has not gone up in the last five years and they have to make more money within the turnover they already have. It then becomes hugely important to look at costs , efficiencies and processes that will save you money and increase profit , this also could mean investment but with the right machine and press features to reduce your cost, that’s why your next investment is so important,” he continues .

One of the things that set Widasla apart is the fact that the team makes it a point to analyse the business they are working with to gauge its needs and look for a press specific to those needs. This, in turn, improves the efficiencies of that business as they would only be using what they need and nothing more. It also delivers more return on investment as the company saves on the cost of running the press. Widasla furthermore prides itself on only selling the latest pre-owned sheet-fed technology from 2010 onwards.

The other reason for this, outside of providing their clients with the best equipment in the pre-used market, is that training its engineers in the latest technology to be able to keep abreast with industry developments is very important for the company.

“I think one of the areas where the industry is lacking, is training. A large number of companies in a lot of countries do not train their engineers in the latest technology and this has contributed to the skills shortage in the industry. Widasla’s work with young engineers has been remarkable for me to witness over the past couple. Dou’s database of engineers is probably bigger than the one we have in Britain and that is amazing because he is working towards changing the narrative in the industry,” John says.

Dou holds training young people in the industry very close to his heart and is proud of the development he has seen not only in their work but in their personal experiences as well.

“Before some of my engineers started working with me they had never been on a plane or seen the ocean so it is quite something to see them travel around the world doing what they love and are good at, Dou continues.

Purchasing pre-owned equipment costs 40% less than getting a brand new press, Dou says.

“The technology has not changed much over the years so it makes sense to rather buy pre-owned equipment because you will only be missing out on one or two features that the current generation of the press has,” John says when explaining why printers should buy pre-owned equipment.

Pre-owned however does not mean you will be skimping on quality as Widalsa performs thorough engineering analysis and cleaning before installing it in a pressroom.

“It is a great idea to spend money to rebuild the right age of machine because it gives you an extra five-year life span of the machine. Widasla does not give its clients as is machines, we make sure we clean, repaint and install new rollers,” Dou says.

Another service offered by Widasla is electroplating to repair damaged chrome cylinders. Electroplating was previously an expensive service which, if done correctly and effectively, required that the roller be removed from the press and sent for repair. Widasla has exclusive access to a banding technique for electroplating the rollers while in the press. Using imported chemicals the result is so precise that even the colour of the replacement chrome matches that of the original to point where the repair cannot be distinguished from the rest of the roller.

The engineering and pre-owned machinery sales company has set its sights on selling even more presses this year than the previous one and they believe it is possible as Dou and John have had 19 meetings they consider positive. The company also plans on expanding its horizons into the rest of Africa. It furthermore plans on rebuilding machines in South Africa and exporting them to European markets.

Widasla and BBR Graphics are excited to announce that they will be having an African day at drupa 2021. They will be ready to answer any questions you may have and engage in meaningful conversation about where you see your business and the market going in the next few years. Dou and John look forward to showcasing all that Africa have to offer, more information will be made available in the future.

The company is currently working on two installations in South Africa with machines from France. A 2013 Heidelberg XL 75 8P and a 2016 CX 102 5LX were expected to arrive in South Africa at the time of publication. Dou notes that his staff have had a large role to play in the company’s success,

“we are getting booked six months ahead of time for rebuilds and installations. This shows that things are going well and my staff-David Sedeane (Widasla Head Engineer), Willem Slabber (Engineer), Kabelo Godden and Victor Zukile (Engineering Assistants), Jessica Fourie (Sales Director), Shaun Matthews from Electrobillity, David Kerr from DK Printmasters and John are all to thank for the success that we are experiencing,” Dou concludes.

Explore our world of innovation.

01

Exclusive supplier

We are exclusive suppliers of pre-owned printing equipment in South Africa for BBR Graphics, catering to global markets such as China and India.

02

We are Growing

Established branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, showcasing steady growth and expansion.

03

International Presence

We have developed a strong international presence with exports to countries like the USA, China, France, Italy, Dubai, Israel, and South America.

04

Workmanship

We are recognized for exceptional workmanship and service quality, earning a reputation as a trusted provider in the global printing industry.

See our ideas come to life

At Widasla, we excel in maintaining and optimizing printing presses to factory standards, offering everything from routine repairs to complete overhauls. Our expert team designs efficient layouts for factory relocations, enhancing workflow and productivity. Plus, we provide comprehensive operator training to keep your operations competitive and profitable.

Brands We Work With

Let’s get Started

Widasla elevates printing standards by providing top-quality equipment and expert services. We upgrade print plants to meet the latest specifications, ensuring superior print quality.

Whether installing top-of-the-line pre-owned machinery or refurbishing existing equipment with high-quality spare parts, our meticulous approach guarantees factory-standard excellence.

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