Easypack POP invests in HP Scitex FB7600
The new FB7600, which was installed at the end of April, will enable the Suffolk-based company, which produces POS and display work for retailers and their suppliers, to offer faster turnaround times and keep more work in-house. Chris Hall, group business development director of parent Fencor Group, said: “We are looking to grow Easypack by 50%, which includes our display, co-packing and folding boxboard divisions. The HP digital press is central to us achieving this goal. Overall, we’re looking to increase turnover by circa £3m.” He added that the machine had been very busy since its installation and that the company intended to up production further. “The machine has been full-on on one shift since start-up and we are looking to ramp up to two shifts in the run-up to Christmas,” he said. The FB7600 can print at up to 500sqm per hour, which Easypack said will enable it to respond quicker to orders, and it has the ability to print on very thin substrates as well as those up to 25mm. Hall said: “To remain competitive, it is crucial to speed up the route to market. We wanted to offer quicker turnaround times while maintaining high quality and the FB7600 is ideal for this.” Easypack opted to have a multi-sheet loader supplied with the press, which enables the simultaneous printing of up to four sheets, in order to maximise productivity. Another big selling point of the press was its ability to produce short runs. “We see the market moving more and more towards shorter runs so we wanted to keep ahead of the game and be able to offer them in an efficient manner – in terms of both cost and time,” said Hall. “At Easypack we also know that markets continuously change and chose the FB7600 accordingly – it is a platform that can be built upon and it can be updated as and when which is great for moving targets.” The FB7600 has also extended the range of substrates that Easypack is able to handle. Until its installation, the company worked primarily with paper, corrugated board and folding boxboard to produce applications such as POS displays, dump bins and pre-filled displays, but it is now looking to offer new substrates to customers including vinyl. Easypack also operates a 2.4m Canon Océ Arizona 550 GT, which is used for short runs and samples, and a 2.2m Sias screen press as well as Komori and Heidelberg conventional presses at its 6,000sqm facility in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Easypack, which has 50 permanent staff and a turnover of around £7m, forms part of £17.5m-turnover Fencor Group, which also comprises Manor Packaging in Peterborough and ACH Corrugated in Ely....
read moreEasypack POP invests in HP Scitex FB7600
The new FB7600, which was installed at the end of April, will enable the Suffolk-based company, which produces POS and display work for retailers and their suppliers, to offer faster turnaround times and keep more work in-house. Chris Hall, group business development director of parent Fencor Group, said: “We are looking to grow Easypack by 50%, which includes our display, co-packing and folding boxboard divisions. The HP digital press is central to us achieving this goal. Overall, we’re looking to increase turnover by circa £3m.” He added that the machine had been very busy since its installation and that the company intended to up production further. “The machine has been full-on on one shift since start-up and we are looking to ramp up to two shifts in the run-up to Christmas,” he said. The FB7600 can print at up to 500sqm per hour, which Easypack said will enable it to respond quicker to orders, and it has the ability to print on very thin substrates as well as those up to 25mm. Hall said: “To remain competitive, it is crucial to speed up the route to market. We wanted to offer quicker turnaround times while maintaining high quality and the FB7600 is ideal for this.” Easypack opted to have a multi-sheet loader supplied with the press, which enables the simultaneous printing of up to four sheets, in order to maximise productivity. Another big selling point of the press was its ability to produce short runs. “We see the market moving more and more towards shorter runs so we wanted to keep ahead of the game and be able to offer them in an efficient manner – in terms of both cost and time,” said Hall. “At Easypack we also know that markets continuously change and chose the FB7600 accordingly – it is a platform that can be built upon and it can be updated as and when which is great for moving targets.” The FB7600 has also extended the range of substrates that Easypack is able to handle. Until its installation, the company worked primarily with paper, corrugated board and folding boxboard to produce applications such as POS displays, dump bins and pre-filled displays, but it is now looking to offer new substrates to customers including vinyl. Easypack also operates a 2.4m Canon Océ Arizona 550 GT, which is used for short runs and samples, and a 2.2m Sias screen press as well as Komori and Heidelberg conventional presses at its 6,000sqm facility in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Easypack, which has 50 permanent staff and a turnover of around £7m, forms part of £17.5m-turnover Fencor Group, which also comprises Manor Packaging in Peterborough and ACH Corrugated in Ely....
read moreFrip installs third Bobst foiler
This retrofit, specially designed for Frip, enables a foil length of 2,200m rather than the conventional 1,500m, reducing changeover downtime by 30% and saving around 40 minutes a day, said Frip group managing director Leslie Gibson. “After experience working on the other two Bobst foilers, we suggested this improvement,” he added. The £450,000 reconditioned install was made at Frip’s Stockport, Cheshire premises where it is being used primarily for large format carton and point of sale work. The install was made as part of wider, long-term £1.5m-plus investment strategy, spurred by growth in larger format cartons. The expansion has also included investment in a new £250,000 Sakurai spot UV line for the Redditch facility in October, and in a £500,000 Bobst 126BMA foiler, installed at the Hinckley site in April. Frip said it will also soon make an announcement regarding diversification into a new product range with specialised laminating equipment. The Leicestershire-based company now operates seven Bobst foilers across the group’s six sites. Gibson said: “Bobst represent the industry standard in die-cutting and foiling. They’re well recognised for reliability and value fir money over time. Also, from our perspective we want to maintain consistency of training and product knowledge across our group.”...
read morePrinting Charity calls for industry’s help in finding print’s needy
Speaking at an event at the House of Lords last night (23 July) chief executive Stephen Gilbert said: “We want to help treble the number of people we helped last year, and by 2017 we want to move that up to 2,000 and keep it going and growing.” He called for the industry’s help in reaching people in need of assistance, especially during a period of austerity: “Tell people about your charity and help us find these people.” Lord Black of Brentwood, the charity’s president, praised the work carried out by grass roots employees. “Stephen and his team turn compassion into action and we want to do more, to help individuals, families and people of all ages.” TPC will spend an additional £1.4m a year in order to reach its target. It is exploring a number of future projects to extend its profile and reach, including ventures with the Worshipful Company of Stationers and employment charity Tomorrow’s People. It has already expanded its work with the Prince’s Trust. The charity is also ramping up its activities in the Yorkshire region, an important print hub, by re-establishing and reinvigorating its Yorkshire Committee. It will be chaired by Communisis director Gurdev Singh, supported by Robert McClements, the chief executive of Print Yorkshire. A record number of 17 awards in the Print Futures project were handed out at the event, boosted by an additional £30,000 in funding for the grants of up to £1,500 to help applicants with training costs. Print Futures is supported by TPC, union Unite and the BPIF. The winners were: Jennifer Chattaway, who has has won a place on the City University MA course in magazine journalism and hopes for a future job on a national consumer magazine. Charlotte Corner, who declares “a passion and burning desire for print”, and founded and edited the Cheerleader, a magazine for the cheerleading community, with limited resources. Daniel Crossfield, has completed a BTec in IT and now plans a BTec in business studies at Barnsley College. “My parents have had a printing business from before I was born,” he says. Sarah Green, says she loves the printing industry from a design point of view. “Now I have to ensure my skills match my determination.” Oliver Griffin, who plans to study for an MA in magazine journalism at City University. Alex Gross, who is reading for a BA in graphic & media design at the LCC. He is fascinated by the letterpress process and recently acquired his own 8×5 Adana. Michael Hood, a trainee customer adviser with Severnprint who is studying print administration under the watchful eye of BPIF Training. Anita Hossain, is just completing her final year of a design & colour technology BA at the University of Leeds, she has won a one-year unpaid internship with cosmetics giant Estée Lauder. Calum Jacobs, a design & colour technology student at the University of Leeds, is looking for industry placements to further his experience. “I see my future being heavily involved in print.” Chris Jeeves, a Shillington College design graduate who has just secured a job as a junior designer with a top estate agent in its London head office. Ralph Jones, who is studying for an MA in magazine journalism at City University. Andrei Kazak, a final year design & colour...
read morePrinting Charity calls for industry’s help in finding print’s needy
Speaking at an event at the House of Lords last night (23 July) chief executive Stephen Gilbert said: “We want to help treble the number of people we helped last year, and by 2017 we want to move that up to 2,000 and keep it going and growing.” He called for the industry’s help in reaching people in need of assistance, especially during a period of austerity: “Tell people about your charity and help us find these people.” Lord Black of Brentwood, the charity’s president, praised the work carried out by grass roots employees. “Stephen and his team turn compassion into action and we want to do more, to help individuals, families and people of all ages.” TPC will spend an additional £1.4m a year in order to reach its target. It is exploring a number of future projects to extend its profile and reach, including ventures with the Worshipful Company of Stationers and employment charity Tomorrow’s People. It has already expanded its work with the Prince’s Trust. The charity is also ramping up its activities in the Yorkshire region, an important print hub, by re-establishing and reinvigorating its Yorkshire Committee. It will be chaired by Communisis director Gurdev Singh, supported by Robert McClements, the chief executive of Print Yorkshire. A record number of 17 awards in the Print Futures project were handed out at the event, boosted by an additional £30,000 in funding for the grants of up to £1,500 to help applicants with training costs. Print Futures is supported by TPC, union Unite and the BPIF. The winners were: Jennifer Chattaway, who has has won a place on the City University MA course in magazine journalism and hopes for a future job on a national consumer magazine. Charlotte Corner, who declares “a passion and burning desire for print”, and founded and edited the Cheerleader, a magazine for the cheerleading community, with limited resources. Daniel Crossfield, has completed a BTec in IT and now plans a BTec in business studies at Barnsley College. “My parents have had a printing business from before I was born,” he says. Sarah Green, says she loves the printing industry from a design point of view. “Now I have to ensure my skills match my determination.” Oliver Griffin, who plans to study for an MA in magazine journalism at City University. Alex Gross, who is reading for a BA in graphic & media design at the LCC. He is fascinated by the letterpress process and recently acquired his own 8×5 Adana. Michael Hood, a trainee customer adviser with Severnprint who is studying print administration under the watchful eye of BPIF Training. Anita Hossain, is just completing her final year of a design & colour technology BA at the University of Leeds, she has won a one-year unpaid internship with cosmetics giant Estée Lauder. Calum Jacobs, a design & colour technology student at the University of Leeds, is looking for industry placements to further his experience. “I see my future being heavily involved in print.” Chris Jeeves, a Shillington College design graduate who has just secured a job as a junior designer with a top estate agent in its London head office. Ralph Jones, who is studying for an MA in magazine journalism at City University. Andrei Kazak, a final year design & colour...
read morePrint winners set to encounter royal baby crowds
With thousands of sightseers and well-wishers thronging around the palace gates, the Queen is due to attend a reception for Queen’s Award for Enterprise winners this evening. Twelve printing industry companies were among the winners this year. Pureprint won its award for sustainable development. The Uckfield firm’s sales and marketing director Richard Owers will attend the event with finance director Ian Brown. Owers said: “We don’t know whether to walk down the Mall and fight our way through the crowds, or get a taxi. It’s going to be incredibly special, especially on this day of all days.” Inkjet developer Inca Digital won an award for international trade, and the official presentation was carried out at the firm’s Cambridge HQ by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire last Friday (19 July). Technical author Paul Witcomb-Vos and electro-mechanical technician Clive Hayward were en route to today’s event at the Palace. “We are excited and a bit nervous, but really looking forward to it. It’s a great honour for us, and who could have guessed the timing would work out like this?” said Witcomb-Vos. “It’s going to be fantastic – the arrival of the royal baby gives it an extra level of amazingness!” For a full list of this year’s print-related winners, see earlier story here....
read morePrint winners set to encounter royal baby crowds
With thousands of sightseers and well-wishers thronging around the palace gates, the Queen is due to attend a reception for Queen’s Award for Enterprise winners this evening. Twelve printing industry companies were among the winners this year. Pureprint won its award for sustainable development. The Uckfield firm’s sales and marketing director Richard Owers will attend the event with finance director Ian Brown. Owers said: “We don’t know whether to walk down the Mall and fight our way through the crowds, or get a taxi. It’s going to be incredibly special, especially on this day of all days.” Inkjet developer Inca Digital won an award for international trade, and the official presentation was carried out at the firm’s Cambridge HQ by the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire last Friday (19 July). Technical author Paul Witcomb-Vos and electro-mechanical technician Clive Hayward were en route to today’s event at the Palace. “We are excited and a bit nervous, but really looking forward to it. It’s a great honour for us, and who could have guessed the timing would work out like this?” said Witcomb-Vos. “It’s going to be fantastic – the arrival of the royal baby gives it an extra level of amazingness!” For a full list of this year’s print-related winners, see earlier story here....
read moreNew ISO standard ‘will be increasingly important to print buyers’
ISO 16759 involved input from various manufacturers and environmental scientists who work in the printing industry. It was developed by the Verdigris Project, a UK-based environmental initiative that carries out work on the environmental impact of print and other media. The new standard encompasses all types of printed product, from labels to newspapers and transactional mail, and has been completed in less than three years. Project director Laurel Brunner said: “We’ve had lots of input from all around the world from people who recognise the importance of this.” She added: “It is written to be as clear and straightforward as possible, making it really easy for people to follow. If you understand how to reduce your carbon impact, you cut your costs.” Brunner said that experts from the Japanese printing industry had been particularly engaged with the process. “The Japanese printing federation, with support from the government, have earmarked a lot of funding for improving the environmental impact of print and improving the industry’s competitiveness through environmental means. “It’s a UK initiative, and I would have loved it if the UK had had more involvement.” Print companies in Germany, Japan, and the US are among early adopters to implement the standard. “It will become more important as print buyers recognise the value of it for their CSR policies,” Brunner added. The standard can be downloaded from the ISO website. It costs CHF146 (£101). The next phase of the Verdigris project involves developing an equivalent calculator for electronic media....
read moreNew ISO standard ‘will be increasingly important to print buyers’
ISO 16759 involved input from various manufacturers and environmental scientists who work in the printing industry. It was developed by the Verdigris Project, a UK-based environmental initiative that carries out work on the environmental impact of print and other media. The new standard encompasses all types of printed product, from labels to newspapers and transactional mail, and has been completed in less than three years. Project director Laurel Brunner said: “We’ve had lots of input from all around the world from people who recognise the importance of this.” She added: “It is written to be as clear and straightforward as possible, making it really easy for people to follow. If you understand how to reduce your carbon impact, you cut your costs.” Brunner said that experts from the Japanese printing industry had been particularly engaged with the process. “The Japanese printing federation, with support from the government, have earmarked a lot of funding for improving the environmental impact of print and improving the industry’s competitiveness through environmental means. “It’s a UK initiative, and I would have loved it if the UK had had more involvement.” Print companies in Germany, Japan, and the US are among early adopters to implement the standard. “It will become more important as print buyers recognise the value of it for their CSR policies,” Brunner added. The standard can be downloaded from the ISO website. It costs CHF146 (£101). The next phase of the Verdigris project involves developing an equivalent calculator for electronic media....
read morePolish printer secures Fespa Wrap Cup victory
Cinski competed against 15 other finalists from around the world to take the coveted title along with €9,500 (£8,000) worth of prizes. The final was held on 29 June, the last day of Fespa London, the wide-format expo’s 50th show, and attracted a large audience from the show’s 22,000 visitors, around 13,500 of which were overseas attendees. Cinski, along with Dutch team-mate Rob Buursen of 12Wrap, part of Netherlands-based advertising firm Jabe Reclame, also took third place in the Nations Cup wrapping event, in which teams of two battled it out for best team performance. Cinski said: “It was a pleasure and honour to compete arm to arm with the best installers from around the world. I would like to thank the competitors, judges, sponsors and everyone else that was involved in making the event happen.” The Wrap Cup was first introduced at Fespa 2010 in Munich and has proved an increasingly popular feature of the wide-format show. Duncan MacOwan, Fespa’s head of events and new media, said: “The Wrap Cup Masters is always an exciting and fast-paced competition and this year has been no exception. With the addition of the Cup of Nations we’ve watched some of the world’s best vehicle wrapping superstars battle it out providing a crowd magnet.”...
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