Stag Print & Packaging has replaced a five-colour B2 Sakurai with a four-colour Lithrone S29, retaining the LED curing that was retrofitted to the Sakurai machine.
“We decided on the four-colour machine because do not do much spot colour work and it saves on space,” says managing director Sushil Patel. The company has been a Sakurai user since 1993, but the Japanese press manufacturer has decided to focus on its screen printing technology rather than offset presses.
Stag is also moving a single-colour Oliver 52 and Horizon collating towers to create space for the additional capacity the Komori offers. “There is no requirement for single-colour printing any longer,” says Patel. The press was only switched on on one occasion last year having been switched off when the lockdown hit.
There is a growing requirement for cartons and the new machine will both match existing capability and will open more doors as it can print 800 micron boards. “It offers more of the same at a faster print speed. We have been producing smallish sized cartons and lots of them. This press can handle 800 micron boards, so we can approach a new group of customers,” he adds.
As well as its own finishing capability, Stag Print has a trade finisher “across the yard” on the same Guildford industrial estate. Patel says: “We have die cutting inhouse, but they have capacity for cutting and making larger boxes as well.”
The press, supplied by Roberts Graphics, will offer the business a 40% capacity increase thanks to a faster running speed, cutting makeready from 45 to 15 minutes, and closed loop colour control. That could cause its own issues over time and it is no surprise when Patel says that “the longer term plan is to move to bigger premises in the next couple of years”.
Sushil Patel joined the business his father Rajandra founded in 2013 following a career at KPMG. There is no going back to an accountancy firm. “Print is an industry that I love,” he says.
The press will be fast for the company to adjust to as the Japanese manufacturers have a shared approach to press operation which does not exist between Japanese and German providers. And Stag also has a new minder, recruiting Paul Jaffray to run the new press.
Patel sums up: “It’s been a very busy start to 2023. The installation of the Komori LS29 in January, along with the arrival of our new team member, means we are full steam ahead and foresee an exciting year of growth for Stag Print.
“The machine is a huge leap in our production capability, from quality and efficiency to environmental impact. We can now cater for a much wider customer base and further increase our reach to manufacture point of sale boxes for the cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and bottled spirits sectors.”
