| The Imaging Centre Invest in Duplo Coater |
Kent-based digital printers The Imaging Centre have invested in a Duplo UV Coater to ensure optimum turnaround times during a period of rapid growth for the company. The Ultra 205A coater has been brought in to replace the company’s previous process of outsourced lamination which was adding extra time to job delivery.
Established in 1995, The Imaging Centre’s core business has primarily been within the greetings card market, serving over eighty publishers. In just six years, volumes have grown from a ‘few thousand cards’ per year to 1.3 million, a figure which is set to double in 2010. It was this rapid growth that meant UV coating was the only way forward for the business, explains Bob Short, Owner:
“Over half our printed cards were being sent out for lamination, this could typically add an extra day to delivery. Also a lot of this outsourced work was in short-runs, in multiple sets, so when it was sent out to the laminator it was easy for them to get mixed up and sent back in incorrect sets. This would add extra time to sort through the cards and administrate, a further knock-on effect to our customers.”
After The Imaging Centre’s previous positive experience with the DC-545 Docucutter and more recently a DC-445 DuCreaser, they turned to Duplo to find out more about the Ultra 205A.
“We have been extremely impressed with Duplo in the past, they have a good reputation and the service support has always been brilliant. We liked the speed of the coater and set-up was very intuitive and quick.” Comments Bob Short.
It was also the demand from the national greetings card retailers for more environmentally friendly printing processes that influenced the change in coating process.
“The retailers want all processes to be greener, for example for some cellophane must now be biodegradable and paper stocks FSC accredited. We wanted to be proactive and we knew that UV coating was better for the environment with no harmful VOC’S being deposited into the atmosphere, all materials used are biodegradable and fully recyclable, unlike some laminating.” Mr Short says.
The Ultra 205A, launched in 2009, is a standalone coater for applying an all-over UV gloss or matte varnish to both digitally and offset printed sheets. Features include an automatic high capacity suction feeder up to 350gsm paper weight, 40 metres a minute throughput and touch screen automatic set-up.
Andrew Chapman, Production Assistant at The Imaging Centre feels the machine suits the business well, “Machine set-up is very quick, within two sheets the machine is ready which allows us to turn our work around very quickly. The installation and service cover from Duplo has also been first-rate”.
As well as printing their cards The Imaging Centre are now able to offer their customer base business cards, brochures and other promotional material.
Bob Short concludes, “We have extended our service offering which means that card designers can get best value and consistency in their printed work. Also, now that we can offer very short runs, our customers are not printing in such large numbers and massively overstocking. Now we can print ‘to order’, which means the designers can spend their time being creative with new card designs, rather than wasting their energies on trying to sell overstocked items. It is a very interesting concept.”
Duplo 01372 478 279
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