The UK-based company is installing two Pitney Bowes Epic Inserting Systems over the next couple of weeks and also became the first UK company to take a Pulse inserter line, following its installation earlier this year.
While the exact investment figure wasn’t disclosed, a typical configuration of the highly modular Epic and Pulse lines would cost around $800,000 (£650,000) and £120,000 respectively. According to Pitney Bowes, the Communisis machines were all high-spec lines.
Communisis operations director Tom Webb said the machines would enable the £350m-turnover group to respond quickly to the needs of an expanding client base "no matter the channel".
One of the Epic lines was on show at the Hunkeler Innovation Days event in Lucerne, Switzerland, this week. Communisis had planned to install both Epics before Hunkeler, but Pitney asked that one of the machines be re-routed to the event so that it could be demonstrated. It will be delivered straight after the show.
Pitney Bowes chief operating officer Grant Miller said: “Communisis are a great example of a client who sees value across a wide spectrum. The outstanding relationship we have with Communisis is a big reason why it was so easy for them to adopt Epic.
“Those client relationships are why Epic will continue to get better and better because we’re listening to our clients and basing improvements on their feedback."
Using a modular component structure, the Epic is built upon Pitney’s Mailstream Productivity Series (MPS) inserting platform. It can be used for short and long runs, with speeds up to 21,000cph but is also suitable for runs of 300-1,500, and has a maximum 21 feeders.
The machine has quick makeready times and can move from letters to flats in around 90 seconds. It also provides real-time, integrated end-to-end tracking and control.
The Pulse inserter is mainly meant for short-run jobs and runs at up to 4,000cph. It also takes a maximum of seven feeders.
Miller said 50 Epic lines have so far been installed since its Hunkeler Innovation Days 2015 launch, with 20 more due for installation in Q1 2017.
Pitney Bowes also announced at the show an agreement with HP to develop a new native Intelligent Printer Data Stream (IPDS) controller for its IntelliJet printing system and for HP's PageWide web presses.
