Deciding to Bring Folding In-House to Meet Rising Direct Mail Demand and Resolve Key Challenges

Sonique Co., Ltd. is a full-service printing company that specializes in flyers and direct mail, built around offset web printing. Today, it also supports its clients' digital strategies through three core pillars: "social media and websites," "web marketing," and "e-commerce and online shop operations." Leveraging the know-how cultivated in print media, the company's strength lies in its communication strategy proposals--"combining print and digital to strategically drive customer acquisition and deliver direct results in the form of client sales." Sonique is also deeply rooted in its local community, having continuously provided scholarship support since 2002 and contributing to local revitalization through community events such as calligraphy exhibitions.

The company has built its production system around a total of four offset web presses, including the System 18S (546mm Cut-Off Eight Page Web Offset Press) and the System 35S (546mm Cut-Off Sixteen Page Web Offset Press). Managing Director Takano explains, "Our main products--direct mail and flyers--have traditionally been produced in-house on our web presses, all the way through chopper folding."

The catalyst for installing a folder was a direct mail project reaching as many as 15 million copies in peak months and 8 million copies in a typical month. After chopper folding, the work required an additional "roll-fold (tri-fold)" process, which had been outsourced to several finishing companies. "It's difficult to raise unit prices for direct mail, and outsourcing also incurs transportation costs. From both a cost and process-management perspective, we felt the need to bring this work in-house," says Managing Director Takano. President Mitsumura adds, "We were also receiving requests from our customers to reduce costs."

To address this growing demand and the challenges of outsourcing, the company decided to bring folding in-house. In January 2024, Sonique installed the MBO T50 along with a unit-type folder from another manufacturer. President Mitsumura notes, "The Business Restructuring Subsidy, which we utilized with Komori's support, also helped make this installation possible."

On the selection of the machine, Managing Director Takano recalls, "We visited another company that was operating the MBO T50 and were attracted to its features--folding speed that could handle our projected production volumes, and the convenience of its unique slitter shaft. Komori's support framework--how closely they stand by us on the shop floor--was another decisive factor."

Achieving In-House Production with Zero Complaints

Despite having no prior experience in folding, Sonique built a stable in-house production system within roughly one year of installing the MBO T50. President Mitsumura says, "We are currently running at a pace of 100,000 pieces per day, producing approximately 2 million copies per month in-house." Through reductions in transport costs and outsourcing-management costs, the company has achieved cost savings of roughly one-third compared with outsourcing.

Regarding operating conditions, Managing Director Takano explains, "We are running stably at 15,000 cycles per hour. Job changeovers are completed in about 15 minutes, so on busy days we consistently achieve more than 100,000 pieces in an 8-hour shift while performing seven to eight changeovers." The benefits of in-house production have also been reflected in quality. "Quality issues that were unavoidable when outsourcing simply no longer occur," he reports, citing stable operation at high speeds as a key achievement.

MBO T50

Shop-Floor Effort and External Support Enabling In-House Production Without Prior Folding Experience

The MBO T50 is operated by a team of three: one feeder operator and two inspection/bundling staff members. Floor Manager Tobe, who previously served as a sub-operator on a web press equipped with a chopper folder, has led the launch of the folding team. While bringing folding in-house was a new challenge, he has built today's operating structure through repeated trial and error. Managing Director Takano comments, "Folding is delicate work--paper quality and paper condition significantly affect accuracy. The team confronts these difficulties head-on, accumulating ingenuity and improvements on the shop floor every day."

As a result, the company achieved its production target of 100,000 pieces per day within roughly one year of installation. Supporting this achievement, in addition to shop-floor effort, was a network of internal and external support. Managing Director Takano reflects, "Beyond Komori's service, being able to consult with our outsourcing partners and peer companies with folding experience was also a great help." Floor Manager Tobe adds, "At the time of installation, I received two weeks of training from Komori and mastered the basic operations. Actual production is a delicate world influenced by paper quality, image content, and other job specifications. Going forward, our challenge is how to put this intuitive expertise into words and pass it on to the next generation."

Because the shaft can be pulled out, perforation and slitter position changes can be made quickly and in a comfortable posture while spreading out the signatures. "There is no need to crawl inside the machine, and there is no risk of dropping tools or parts--it makes the work much easier." (Floor Manager Tobe)

MBO T50 and Peripheral Equipment Supporting Productivity and Quality Stability

Sonique's main products--direct mail and flyers--require an additional post-press step after the signatures are folded on the web press. "To fold the signatures further, we chose to add the Round Feeder," says Managing Director Takano. By supplying paper at regular intervals, the system enables stable, non-stop operation.

For delivery, the company adopted the MBO SBAP, which makes it easy to check the condition of printed pieces folded on extremely thin paper. After pressing the signatures upward, the structure discharges them vertically, and the unit can also separate output into predetermined batch sizes, creating extra capacity for stacking and bundling work. Floor Manager Tobe comments, "The paper comes out neatly aligned in bundles, making it easy to grip and easier to bundle afterward."

Left: MBO SBAP, Right: Round Feeder

Pursuing Further Business Expansion Centered on In-House Production

President Mitsumura says, "Since installing the MBO machine, we have seen an increase in inquiries from fellow printers, and the scope of our work has been gradually expanding."

Going forward, leveraging the proficiency it has built, the company aims to accelerate the in-house production of high-value-added projects and pursue further revenue growth, while also beginning to take on more diverse folding styles and heavier paper stocks.

Looking ahead to further business expansion, the company plans to install an additional System 35S in August 2026--a machine capable of printing 30,000 sheets per hour and performing inline direct mail finishing. President Mitsumura concludes, "As we ramp up production, we want to review our production framework and consider expanding processes such as folding. At the same time, we will place even greater emphasis on employee development."

Employees in Sonique Co., Ltd.