Hardware - Industrial Print

Rochester-based PressOn is the first worldwide customer of the new 126”-wide industrial HP Latex 3000 printer and its machine is installed and ready to meet the demand for high quality, self-adhesive vinyl graphics.

“The print industry in the UK has generally been in decline, but large format digital printing continues to grow,” says Andy Wilson, managing director of PressOn. “Since purchasing our first HP printer from print solutions provider CWE Solutions in 2002, our mind-set has been purely digital which has been a great advantage to our growth.”

In order to meet the demands for high quality digital print, PressOn developed a £600,000 growth strategy to acquire a number of large machines including a Kongsberg XPi24 digital cutter purchased from CWE Solutions in August 2012.

A strong proponent of HP latex technology, PressOn initially looked to purchase an additional HP LX850 to join its existing HP line-up.  However it soon became evident that - in order to keep up with client demands - an industrial roll to roll machine would be required.

“The HP Latex 3000 will enable us to take on further work and utilise its increased speed and industrial design to improve customer response times,” says Wilson. “Additionally, with 5 litre ink cartridges and 1.5 litre sub-tanks, the 3000 gives us true, unattended overnight printing, reducing operator costs but maximising achievable production time and increasing our revenue potential. ”

According to Wilson, the HP Latex technology is much more stable than UV technology, especially for self-adhesive vinyl graphics. “With UV you have inherent issues with installation and removal of self-adhesive vinyls. The HP Latex technology is a much more stable and makes for easier finishing and laminating.”

In addition to reliability and speed, cost-per-click was critical in the company's decision making.  Wilson estimates on last year’s print work alone they would have added an extra £50,000 in profits had they been operating the HP 3000.  Wilson concludes, ”CWE Solutions has helped us bring creative solutions to the marketplace in an innovation fashion. Today’s client isn’t just about price. You need to be able to do the job differently, reliably, and in a sustainable way while embracing new technology.  The HP 3000 will allow us to use technology to our advantage and embrace those last-minute print jobs that others see as a challenge.”

Specialist packaging and POP solutions provider STI Line has placed an order for an Inca Onset S40i with automation and XMF Workflow from Fujifilm. Officially confirming its interest at FESPA 2013, the UK site of the STI Group is the first company in the UK to invest in an Inca Onset S40i equipped with Fujifilm’s brand-new Uvijet OC inks for corrugated applications.

Dave Driver, operations director at STI Line, comments, “The Onset S40i will provide us with extraordinary quality and improves our speed to market. The packaging & display market is extremely demanding and quality is paramount for some of our key categories such as cosmetics and beauty.” He emphasises: “Not only does the Onset S40i offer unique features that we are confident will improve our time to market without compromising on quality, but the Uvijet OC inks will guarantee exceptional flexibility for us, so we can immediately proceed with the cutting and finishing stage, delivering finished products quickly.”

Dave adds, “The increasing demand for short run products, as well as the importance of reducing lead times, has driven us in the direction of digital print.” He continues: “In the last few years the performance offered by this technology has grown steadily and now perfectly suits our requirements. As partner of the brands, our customers expect us to deliver creative solutions to enhance brand awareness and impulse buying. To provide outstanding packaging and POS Solutions, we need excellent designers as well as excellent technology.”

In order to manage the full digital production process in-house, STI Line will integrate the Inca Onset S40i with Fujifilm’s XMF workflow. Dave clarifies: “As part of a strategy to put in place a smooth and time-saving production environment, it’s essential to rely on an easy-to-use and efficient prepress solution. XMF workflow ticks all the boxes.” He expands: “Fujifilm’s XMF workflow will help us to be fully in control of the artwork from creation through to final production, reducing not only our turnaround times but also the margin for error.”

Dave summarises: “Having assessed the industry to make this investment, our experience in dealing with the Fujifilm team has been rewarding. We found them to be professional throughout and supported by a great range of products”.

Tayprint has installed an HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press and an HP Scitex XP2500 Industrial Printer within four weeks of each other to expand its application offerings and reach new market sectors.  

Tayprint, based in Dundee, Scotland, started as a traditional screen printer in 1976. The company decided to install the HP Scitex FB7600 and the HP Scitex XP2500 to help expand its application portfolio and offer quicker turnaround times.

"Business has been great, but we reached a point where we wanted to offer more to stand out from competition, and we realised that it was time to invest in new technology," said Kevin Geoghegan, production manager, Tayprint. "We chose the two different products to maximise production and have the ability to offer both indoor and outdoor applications. The HP Scitex FB7600 has enabled us to move into new markets such as packaging and also offer indoor applications including POP displays, and we are using the HP Scitex XP2500 for banners."

The HP Scitex FB7600 has opened up new opportunities in packaging for Tayprint, allowing it to acquire new business from new customers as well as new applications for existing customers. The HP Scitex FB7600 has the ability to print on a wide variety of media up to 25mm thick, so Tayprint is also producing point of sale (POS) applications on it using substrates such as Foamex, Correx and display board.

"We already offered outdoor applications, but to move into other sectors we wanted products that were economic, in time and in money," said Geoghegan. "Since installing the two solutions, we have saved a lot of time and have been able to increase productivity, taking on jobs we previously weren't able to."

Tayprint have mainly used the HP Scitex XP2500, designed for outdoor signage, for printing banners. The UV-ink printer increases turnaround time with printing speeds up to 265m2/hr in Billboard mode using HP Specialty Billboard Scitex Ink.

"Now that our eyes are open to what the new HP products can do for our company, our aim is to keep growing and moving the company forward," said Geoghegan. "We want to continue to reach out to new markets and keep expanding our application portfolio from here."

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[Photo caption: The HP Scitex FB7600 has opened up new opportunities in packaging for Tayprint]

Award-winning printer BCQ is the latest company to have purchased an Acuity Advance HS HD3545W UV digital flatbed printer. The deal was finalised by BCQ chairman Richard Knowles and Fujifilm product manager Dave Cull at the Fujifilm stand at FESPA on Friday 28th June.

Specialising in the production of marketing materials for a number of industries that include automotive, leisure and government, the Buckingham-based printer has been looking to add a new flatbed machine to its wide format division, ‘Jolly Big’.

“We were looking for something that not only would ramp up output speeds, but also deliver the ‘zap-between-the-eyes’ quality that some of our high-end clients have come to expect from us,” explains Richard. “We searched the market for over three months looking for the ideal product, until a visit to Fujifilm’s APTC (Advanced Print Technology Centre) in Belgium convinced us the Acuity Advance HS could be exactly what we needed.”

The Acuity Advance HS HD3545W offers photographic quality printing at speeds that provide a quick return on investment, which fits perfectly with BCQ’s ‘Jolly Big’ business model. With typical production speeds of 40.2m²/hr and a high quality mode of 28.4 m²/hr, the Acuity Advance HS delivers increased daily output and includes an “express” mode that offers billboard quality prints at speeds up to 61 m²/hr.

“So far all of our in-house printers have been roll-fed machines, so this is our first venture into wide format flatbed,” concludes Richard. “We are really looking forward to the results we’ll achieve with the installation of the Acuity Advance HS which will take place at our new premises in the near future.”

Established screenprinter and large format service provider Dominion is the first company in the UK to order the five metre version of Fujifilm’s Uvistar Pro8, signing on the dotted line at FESPA 2013 in London. A formidable combination of features and unparalleled quality is the key reason for this purchase, according to company director at Dominion, Tom Clark.

The company started to upgrade its print equipment at drupa 2012, which led to the recent installation of an Inca Onset S40 to join its Inca Onset S20, both supplied by Fujifilm. The need to support its POP & display production of mainly rigid materials with a reliable roll fed super-wide format printer prompted Dominion to look out for an appropriate platform. “We’d seen the three metre Uvistar Pro8 last year and were amazed by its capabilities,” explains Tom. He continues: “The five metre version suits our requirements for producing super-wide applications such as building wraps and banners, so we can’t wait to integrate it within our production department.”

Tom is particularly impressed with the quality and extensive range of functionalities offered by the Uvistar Pro8. “We believe that the set of light colours within the ink set, together with the Parallel Drop Size (PDS) technology, which enables the jetting of different droplet sizes without any reduction in throughput speed, will give us a competitive advantage,” he comments. “With this purchase we will be able to produce high definition graphics suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications, diversifying our services.”

Tom and the management team at Dominion were also impressed by the Uvistar Pro8’s ability to print in a multi-roll configuration, with three 1.5 metre rolls simultaneously. “The flexibility to print potentially three different materials at the same time is just amazing as it will further boost our productivity,” he highlights. “In addition, the optional automatic media load and unload tables for rigid media handling will give us the versatility to switch between a variety of jobs and print the maximum flat-sheet stock available. Finally, we’ll take advantage of the backlit camera option as it will allow us to print high quality images with perfect registration between the front and back of the jobs during the production process.”

What’s more, Tom is particularly complimentary about Fujifilm: “We appreciate the ‘thinking outside of the box’ attitude that distinguishes the company. While many leading print suppliers offer products that are mainly focused on productivity, Fujifilm looks at the bigger picture and is committed to delivering reliable and superior devices that tick all the boxes. Fujifilm‘s high-end solutions, combined with its outstanding, professional support, completely match the demands of a modern PSP,” he concludes.

Staffordshire, UK-based Swanline Print Ltd, a trade supplier of laminated packaging and point of sale (POS) displays, has purchased the UK’s first HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press to provide in-house, high quality short to medium run packaging and POS services.

With the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press, Swanline will be able to print directly onto an increased range of light and heavy-weight substrates for a greater variety of jobs. By working digitally, eliminating the need for traditional offset litho plate production and substrate pre-treatment, Swanline expects to realise increased production flexibility and efficiencies, cost savings and new business opportunities.

“Quite simply, the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press reinforces our ability to serve the packaging and POS market,” said Nick Kirby, managing director, Swanline Print Ltd. “Our current business is split 60 per cent packaging and 40 per cent POS, and this investment will improve our service levels to a standard that competes with traditional analogue technologies.”

Greater versatility, improved workflow and built-in upgradeability

Utilising the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press’s UV-curable inks and HP Scitex High Dynamic Range Printing Technology, Swanline will be able to print more easily onto a wider range of substrates, including heavy weight boards. In addition, the wide format of the new press – which supports up to four B1 prints in one pass – gives the company the capability to design packaging in fewer pieces and significantly reduce gluing and finishing requirements.

According to Kirby, Swanline followed the development of digital print, but required a combination of higher print quality and productivity than digital could historically deliver. The HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press addresses these challenges and also provides a critical upgrade capability, ensuring its future competitiveness.

“We offer the more specialist types of packaging and POS print in-house than many other printers,” said Kirby. “We have built a solid reputation for the skills and technology to be able to do this work. Based on this success, we are able to invest in the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press to address the short- and medium-run markets, and do it cost-effectively and profitably.”

“With the digital printing capability, we have the opportunity to version, regionalise or personalise customer jobs,” continued Kirby. “For POS, with reduced run-lengths for seasonal campaigns, for example, and more targeted promotions, we expect this press to be a powerful tool to meet customer demands and attract new business.”

High speed, precision colour control

With the new HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press, Print Service Providers (PSPs) can meet peak demand with a print capacity up to 625 m2/hour (6,727 ft2/hr). The HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press is powered by the HP Scitex High Dynamic Range Printing Technology, utilising 16 grey-level printing and enabling a range of small and large drop sizes on the same print, to provide both high speed and high quality. This combination enables customers to benefit from a wider range of applications and run lengths with rapid turnaround times – for instance, 1000 B1 sheets in less than two hours.

Since the HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press is designed to address offset, screen and digital applications using UV-curable inks, the press offers exceptionally wide media versatility and prints to substrates including foam board, foam PVC, corrugated cardboard and compressed cardboard, and ACP (Aluminium Composite Panels).

“Larger converters of corrugated packaging and POP display materials needed a digital solution to meet the production volumes and turnaround times demanded by their customers,” said Arzu Ilhan Babaoglu, general manager for Large-format Printing, Sign & Display, EMEA, HP. “The HP Scitex FB10000 Industrial Press gives Swanline and other packaging converters these capabilities as well as the benefit of printing direct to substrate and other advantages of digital printing.”

Swanline Print was established in 2001 and currently employs 80 people with a turnover of £10 million. As one of the UK’s leading trade suppliers of specialist printed packaging and POS displays, Swanline prides itself on a reputation for service quality, confidentiality and its adherence to the non-compete nature of trade business servicing. From product design engineering through to print, finishing, distribution and storage, Swanline provides a broad product portfolio, where customers can truly bespoke their service.

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