Strachan Henshaw Machinery

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[edit] SHM Ltd.

1879-2000
Manufactures of paper handling and printing equipment.
Based in Speedwell, Bristol, UK and Chicago, USA, the Company designed, developed and manufactured products which were sold to more than 60 countries worldwide. With a history that spanned over 110 years. It had become well known throughout its marketplaces for pioneering solutions to practical problems. Over 80% of its business came from overseas. Its products continued to be used with many still in manufacture and development with other companies worldwide.

SHM manufactured a range of products for book printing, sheet cutting and related ancillary products.
Printing Industry Products included the Variquik press for web fed short run book printing, and a range of bespoke web presses for printing medium and long run book, journal and directories in mono or two colours.

Sheet cutting products included the Accutec Modular System and the 1400 High Speed. Both systems were designed for cutting reels into sheets for use by converters, printers, label manufacturers or paper mills. With many advanced options available including cut to watermark and cut to register. SHM sheeters will cut a very wide range of substrate from fine papers to heavy weight board and from delicate films and foils to heavy metallic materials and synthetics.

Speedwell Sleeves is the brand name given to SHM's range of GRP cylindrical rollers used as plate carriers by flexographic and gravure printers. Many types of 'sleeve' are made including both parallel and those with an internal taper for an interference fit. Different surface types and construction methods are also available. Most impression roller sleeves used in gravure printing are based on the Speedwell system developed by Strachan Henshaw Machinery

A range of ancillary products are also made such as shaftless unwind reelstands and various types of safety chucks.

[edit] Company History

1879 Robert Strachan and George Henshaw formed their partnership in Victoria Street, Bristol, to make the first ever automatic paper bag making machine. Their first customer was E S & A Robinson.
1890 Larger premises were needed and the Central Engineering Works in the heart of Bristol city was created. They started to make machines for printing onto paper bags and the company started to export its products all over the world.
1892 The Bristol Great Industrial Exhibition. They supplied the power distribution unit and gained widespread recognition for their innovative engineering. Tramcar equipment started to be an important growth area.
1900 George Henshaw retired. The Limited Company was formed and expansion meant they started to look for another new site.
1904 The Whitehall works were added and production continued on two sites. The business flourished at this time of great industrial growth and the company had two distinct strengths paper and printing equipment and mechanical handling.
1914-18 War work meant the factory made munitions, including an amazing contraption for training aerial gunners. A massive flying target which spun across the air on wires at 75mph.
1920 Robert Strachan retired and the company was acquired by E S & A Robinson, their original customer. This opened up huge new sales opportunities. The first aniline press was developed with quick drying ink, a forerunner to the modern flexographic press. Exports remained strong and many new markets were developed for their printing and paper machines. The first sheet cutters were made.
1939-45 The War once again meant temporary cessation of core activities. A mechanical handling division was created and sited in a new factory in the St Phillips area of the city. Work included the development of equipment for field survey units, gun carriages, and launching rigs; they made submarine-detecting apparatus and torpedo parts, fuse machines, anti-aircraft shells, and trench mortar bombs.
During the war the firm also made a giant railway-truck tipper, 120 feet tall.
1950s Great innovations in book printing took place. Strachan & Henshaw made history by developing the first paperback book press with rubber printing plates and a low cost inking system which enabled paperback books to be mass produced inexpensively. The Central Engineering Works in Bristol closed as the city centre was redeveloped in the post war clearance programme.
1966 Robinsons merged with John Dickinson, the paper mill and stationery group, and the Dickinson Robinson Group (DRG) was formed.
1975 The first Supertrim sheeter was built and batch production of the HS 1400 commenced.
1979 Whitehall Machinery was taken back in to the company and the name changed to Strachan Henshaw Machinery. The company celebrated its centenary.
1981 Many very large and important orders were taken for custom made presses for printing telephone directories as well as high volume books.
1986 Market research pointed the way to the development of a new short run press.
1989 Roland Franklin (Pembridge Associates) acquires DRG.
1990 Variquik was launched to the world market at Drupa.
Strachan & Henshaw Ltd (mechanical handling) sold to the Weir Group.
Strachan Henshaw Machinery (paper and printing equipment) continued on independently from its Bristol Speedwell Factory.
1992 Introduced the Meridian web offset book press to produce high-quality signatures in short to medium runs. Although designed for fast makeready as an essential dedicated press, size change options were available should the printer's need changed in the future. It was targeted for the monocolor market, but a two-color option was available for special applications.
1996 Special Products division is formed on a new site in St Annes, Bristol, to make Speedwell flexo sleeves, reelstands and ancillary products.
1997 Accutec launched at CMM 12, Chicago.
1998 Variquik PC15 launched at Ipex, Birmingham.
1999 Strachan Henshaw Machinery entered into recivership and closed in March 2000 with the loss of 260 jobs.
Pemco, Inc., acquired the patents, engineering specifications and design for the Accutec and 1400/1450 Series sheeters
Rossini SPA acquired the patents, for the Speedwell Sleeve System. Rossini is now the only holder of patents for Speedwell sleeves and tapered air mandrels and Rotosleeves. Rossini SpA exclusively owns all the dimensions of the sleeves and tapered air mandrels supplied from 1978 to date.