Set to arrive in August, the £200,000 machine, which has been configured with Nipson's high-speed option, will ultimately replace three Xerox 495 continuous feed printers, although the 495s will be retained for peak season. According to head and sales director of Mailbox David Wright, a second Nipson is currently being considered.
Running at the 2,137sqm Mailbox base in Leicester, the Nipson will focus on high-speed, mono overprint applications, which the firm said are still in high demand from clients despite many of its peers increasingly migrating to colour digital.
Wright said: “Nipson specialises in mono continuous machinery and so, as Xerox continues to explicitly invest in going down the colour route and some of its machines are set to leave circulation, this move was just the right fit for us.
“We expect a more direct and dedicated service in terms of engineers and support while enjoying the advantages of mono. There is still a demand for that more conventional production method [from clients], both for quality and economic reasons.
“This was our first dealing with Nipson and it has been a very smooth process that will allow us to offer clients quality, flexibility and value. We are positioned nicely now to cater for increased demand in the autumn, though our summer trading has stayed buoyant too.”
The Nipson VP200 runs at a maximum production speed of 150m/min taking a range of substrate weights from 40-240gsm, allowing it to print on stocks from lightweight paper to heavy card as well as labels, foils, carbonless stocks and coated materials.
The 520mm wide web printer features dry toner magnetographic imaging technology and cool xenon flash fusing.
According to Wright, this latest investment likely marks the last significant 2019 spend for Mailbox, although he added that “we will continue to review our offering, measure efficiency and keep tweaking as necessary”.
Last month, Teresa-Anne Dunleavy was appointed as the new group chief executive of Taylor Bloxham following Robert Bloxham’s decision to step down.
Set up in January 2018, Mailbox employs 30 members of staff among a wider group headcount of 200 people. The total group turnover stands at £32m.
