Northern Ireland packaging printer Print Library has moved up a format with installation of a Heidelberg Speedmaster CX104, its largest investment in 25 years of trading,
The five-colour plus coater B1 press replaces an XL75 and is installed in a new unit that the company has acquired adjacent to its existing factory at Newtownards in County Down. Because of the increase in format the company has had to acquire a larger Suprasetter to handle plate production, but finishing equipment remains the same, two MasterWork Easymatrix platens and carton gluing line.
The press and new unit come in at £1.5 million and follow on from a £500,000 investment last year in CAD software, inspection system and carton gluer. The additional space will be filled quickly with both board and work in progress from the larger sheet size.
The shift to the larger format will enable the business to more than double output, and joint managing director Geoff Truesdale says that the company has implemented additional shift patterns to keep pace with increase in print capacity.
Co founder Michael Thompson says the additional capacity was needed because “the business its growing with more demand than ever from the fast moving consumer goods sector and introducing this world class tech is exactly what we need to take Print Library into the next level in our 25th year.”
The company focuses on the FMCG sector and “brands that value quality, reliability and fast turnaround. That’s where our expertise and investment really pay off,” says Truesdale. It is now contemplating expansion on the UK mainland and throughout Ireland.
The arrival of the press was accompanied by a social media video combining images of the press and types of work that the company produces. He explains: “The video is just the opening act. Next, it’s full office fit-out and after that? There will always be something happening to show customers we’re serious about capability, speed, and quality. We don’t sit still, and neither should our customers.”
