Epic Products International Corporation

Millcross Litho Portland, OR	Walmart Printing Bentonville, AR
Mead School & Office Products St. Joseph, MO	Lithocraft, Inc. New Albany, IN
The Printing Company Canal Winchester, OH	Sulla's Printing Rochester, MN
Carton Service Shelton, OH	Midland Packaging Corporation Lincoln, NE

Millcross Litho
Portland, OR
Bruno Amatter

I wish I had put it in a long time ago. It has definitely improved our quality, cut hickeys to an absolute minimum --and it has proven to be one hell of a good investment for us.

We have a 1976 Miller press -- probably one of the few left in America -- so Epic Delta had to provide us with a custom installation. The mechanic they sent was an absolute jewel. He actually had to make some special gears for the drive -- and they fit perfectly. As capital-intensive as the printing industry can be, we felt there was no real alternative to installing an Epic Delta Dampening System. Anew press simply wasn't in the cards.

The Epic Delta Dampening System has helped to keep us competitive. We are producing faster now because we don't have to stop the press (to remove hickeys). This makes a big difference because we print a lot of high-quality art posters in batches that range from 3000 to 20,000 units. Dot gain and general dot structure have really improved. The solids are very full and ink colors remain consistently vibrant. This keeps our customers happy.

Mead School and Office Products
St. Joseph, MO
Jack Parrish

The biggest benefit for our firm? Considerably less waste at start-up. Truer water and truer color are also big pluses for us.

I installed my first Epic Delta Dampening System two years ago. Of our four presses, three now have Epic systems. And I'm trying to get one for the fourth!

The hickey-picking feature works phenomenally well. When we get a hickey now, we don't stop the press -- we just watch it disappear after one or two sheets. Before we got the Epic Delta Dampening System, we'd typically be pulling 45-70 sheets a load. Now we run load after load after load without stopping. The system has performed as well as Epic promised, and the company has been very supportive -- particularly with the schooling they provide for the operators. We've been down to the Epic plant for training twice. It provided us a thorough understanding of how to make the most of the technology.

The Printing Company
Canal Winchester, OH
Randy Nein

Epic's Delta Dampening System has been great for us in terms of speeding up start-ups and make readies -- they tend to go much more quickly. It's also done a great job of running solids (which we run a lot of). Solids come through consistent and clean. Overall I'd have to say we're very pleased.

Carton Service
Shelby, OH
Randy Stiteler

Basically, Epic's Delta Dampening System offers three advantages. Number one is faster run speeds; we don't have to stop nearly as often as we used to. Number two is a reduction in ink usage; it's been reduced by 5 to 10 percent. Number three is a considerable reduction in scrap. Before we installed the system, we'd typically pull 12-15 sheets to achieve color. But now, with Epic's Delta Dampening System in place, we simply don't have that problem.

Walmart Printing
Bentonville, AR
Marty Vavra Positive

The Epic Delta Dampening System has done a fantastic job eliminating hickeys. It's given us a significant return on our investment in terms of reducing make ready stock. In fact, all scrap has been reduced significantly.

Lithocraft Inc.
New Albany, IN
Billy Brewer

We purchased a coater-dampener system to eliminate offset problems and to reduce drying times. The system has performed fantastically -- we have no problems now in these regards.

Hickey elimination has also been an inherent benefit. We are printing much more productively now. And the quality of our output has improved tremendously. We now consistently produce a much better-looking product. Reruns due to offset problems have been virtually eliminated.

Tim Daniel

The thing I like the best is that the Epic Delta Dampening System allows us to get a product through the press and to the customer faster. Sheets come off the press dry to the touch. We don't have to allow for dry-time before sending jobs to the bindery. In the past, if a customer called with a rush job saying "I need it right away", we might have to tell them we couldn't turn it around that fast. But now? No problem: we can.

The [Delta] system has significantly decreased the time required to deliver finished jobs to the customer's door. Virtual hickey elimination means that, instead of taking 14 to15 sheets to get Top of Page to color, it may now take only 5 to 6.

Epic also does a very good job in terms of customer service. When I call with a question, they respond very quickly. Usually I'll get the answer I need that same day. I appreciate their prompt follow-up.

Sulla's Printing
Rochester, MN
Mike Sulla

We've been very happy with the system. There's nothing out there that's better.

Overall quality has improved remarkably. Ink coverage has improved tremendously — especially on solids. And we have no hickeys to speak of now.

What about make ready and paper waste? We can be up to speed now within the first 10 sheets. Previously we'd waste between 30 to 60 sheets. And ink usage? It's 'way down — we're definitely saving money there.

Originally, we were looking at a competitive product that sells for about half the price. Then we dropped in and toured Epic's Dallas office. By the time we walked out the door we'd pretty much decided to go with Epic. I think it was a good move on our part. We put it on a 1985 SORD-Z Heidelberg. We know that press. We're very comfortable with it. Quality-wise it now performs like a new press. We'll be able to run it for at least another 3 to 6 years. We may well consider adding the Epic Delta Dampening System to another press. It's definitely the best in the offset world.

Midland Packaging Corporation
Lincoln, NE
Gary Riecke

We were one of the original users of the Epic Delta Dampening System, trading out on a single-color press. We were so satisfied with that one, we retrofitted a 4-color and really liked the results. Since then, we've retrofitted several of our other multicolor presses.
We are firm believers. In time, we intend to retrofit our 6-color. The main benefit we see? Running virtually hickey free. As a secondary benefit, color seems easier to maintain.
We used to have dust problems, big time. Because board printers get the worst trash out of the mill, we run some of the worst paper in the world. We're amazed how well the Delta system copes.Now we're not concerned with dust at all.
In terms of ROI, being able to keep the press running really pays over time. Not having to stop and pick debris off the plate, not having to waste 20 to 30 sheets before you're Top of Page up to color again -- these time and materials savings have made us firm believers.