The Cramlington-based printing, packaging and direct mail specialist has also bought a Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600 II LED UV roll-to-roll and flatbed inkjet printer as part of a total investment of around £250,000 for its wide-format arm, which it acquired in 2014.
Both machines were installed last month and are additional to the firm’s existing range of wide-format machinery, which includes Canon Océ Arizona 360 and ColorWave 600 devices and an HP Latex 360.
The Canon-manufactured Acuity F has a maximum print speed of 155sqm/hr and can print onto substrates up to 2.5x3m and 50mm thick.
The Acuity LED 1600 II prints at speeds of up to 33sqm/hr, has a maximum print width of 1.6m and a maximum resolution of 1,200dpi.
The business bought the Acuity F in a bid to increase its market share of signage, outdoor media, graphic display and POS materials.
It looked at a range of alternatives from suppliers including Jetrix and Agfa but found the Fujifilm machine to be the best fit for its requirements.
“The Acuity F is quicker than our Arizona 360 and will boost our productivity. What would previously take us a week will now take us a day,” said Potts Print (UK) wide-format digital printing division technical director Keith McHugh.
“The Acuity LED 1600 II is a back-up for the 360, where we have roll printing white, because the Acuity F doesn't have the roll on it. We’ve also bought it for when we’re looking at new markets, bespoke or value-added work or packaging prototypes.”
Business development director John Conway added: “We work with some powerful brands and have completed several major projects with them during 2015. With this latest investment we can work closely with our clients to deliver a complete project, seamlessly and without compromise on quality or turnaround.”
Potts Print (UK), which has 170 staff and a turnover of more than £15m, is also looking to take on additional staff and apprentices later this year to manage its expected growth.
The firm, which is the first Carbon Balanced Paper certified printer in the North of England, serves clients including international corporations, retail and pharmaceutical companies, the NHS and public sector organisations, charities, regional and local businesses and the visual arts community.
Last year the business bought a Heidelberg XL 75 six-colour plus coater and a range of digital print and finishing equipment as part of a £3m capital investment programme.
