HP today announced that Print & Display Ltd (P&D), of Nottingham, UK, has used its HP Scitex FB7500 Printer to increase its production capacity and offer customers increased flexibility of run-lengths and turnaround times.
"The FB7500 printer has given us additional flexibility, speed and high print quality," said Paul Manson, managing director, Print & Display Ltd. "Since its installation, we have added the upgrades which have improved performance and reduced downtime to levels that have been surprising.
"We have estimated that in the time we could prepare a job for screen printing, the FB7500 can print our typical print run of 400 sheets," said Manson. "The print quality is superb and the fact that printheads can be replaced by the operator ensures maximum productivity."
Founded in 2003, P&D quickly established itself as an innovator in point-of-sale graphic products and today offers a wide range of solutions. Typical products include free standing display units (FSDUs), countertop units, banners, dump bins, standees, pallet displays, and its own creation, the rapidly-erected free-standing display, the "Quikstand."
Despite very challenging economic conditions, P&D has continued to build its business, leveraging the potential of marketing on the web, and continues to attract new customers, even increasing its staff by 50 percent in 2010.
Today, with 21 employees, P&D has two 3D designers, a graphic designer and production that includes in-house die-cutting and finishing.
While more than 80 percent of P&D's work is on 4 - 5mm corrugated board, the FB7500 printer is able to handle rigid substrates up to 25mm thick, giving the company the ability to print a wide variety of work on less usual substrates.
Taking the step into digital production
According to Manson, in 2009 the company had reached its production capacity with its screen printing unit and digital printer. The company's revenues had been growing regularly, but it was working at capacity. Print & Display considered adding a second screen printer, but that would have required moving to a new factory and hiring additional staff. Manson saw the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer and was uncertain as to whether the company could afford it.
Along with building cost models, the P&D team further investigated the FB7500 printer and visited the HP demo suite in Barcelona to learn more and carry out some tests.
"We took some challenging jobs and some difficult substrates," Manson continued. "We concluded that the results, ease of use and production speed would not only justify the investment, but enable us to expand with minimal upheaval."
Another influencing factor was P&D's awareness that printers like the FB7500 would increasingly be setting the standard for jobs among its competitors. Against this evidence, P&D chose a digital solution over analogue, and in March 2010, its HP Scitex FB7500 Printer with GrandRIP+ by Caldera was installed.
The six-colour printer uses UV-curable pigmented inks and the revolutionary X2 piezoelectric printhead. X2 printhead technology reduces maintenance while enabling the ink flows necessary for high speed, high definition printing - up to 500m2/hr (95 full-size sheets).
Reaping the benefits
"Migrating work from analogue to digital has not only increased our production capacity and enabled us to grow, but it has also increased the services we can offer customers, and positioned us well for the future," he added.
P&D has also invested time in search engine optimisation, as well as a range of quirky promotional videos that can be found on its website (www.printdisplays.com) and YouTube.
"We come up on the first page of an online search for 'FSDU' which is what people who know what they want will be looking for," concluded Manson. "This has helped us to expand our market well beyond the UK, with regular jobs coming from Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Spain, the Nordic countries and other places in Europe. The web continues to be a good source of business for us."
