The 176-year-old, family-run print firm has invested in a new four-colour with coater, SRA1 Komori H-UV device that will be installed over Christmas and commissioned in January. To support its output the company has also bought a CCM Premier 115 guillotine, supplied and installed in November by Terry Cooper Services (TCS).
The new guillotine features a deep clamp opening to take more paper and reduce cutting time, optical shaft encoder on high-speed backguage, enclosed knife change, turnbuckle adjustment, infra-red slimline light barriers and large side tables.
Julian Barnwell who co-owns the business with his brother Lincoln, both fifth generation members of the family business, said the introduction of the SRA1 sheet size had prompted wider investment across the company including not only the new guillotine, but platemakers, proofers, new software and a range of ancillary equipment.
“We’ve been B2 printers forever and moving to an SRA1 sheet size we really needed to upgrade not only our CTP but our finishing department too, so as well as the guillotine we’ve bought two autolifts, a jogger and a pile turner from TCS,” he added.
“With the new guillotine we are getting 30% more per cut in the depth, so we’re saving a lot of time there, and the accuracy is really amazing. I am shocked at how much guillotines have advanced since our last purchase in about 2008. It’s allowing the guys to do so much more and the autolifts and joggers have improved health and safety as well,” he said.
Barnwell said that the Aylsham, Norwich-based company, which employs 20 staff, would consider more investment in the finishing department of its 1,400sqm facility in the new year once the new Komori, which will replace a Komori LS 429 + C (H), had bedded-in. More details of the investment and wider business strategy would be released next year, he added.
“Getting into a bigger sheet size brings so many benefits,” he said. “As B2 printers we are continuously under attack from B1 printers in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s the age old problem of over-capacity. We have a wonderful industry and we provide a wonderful service but we are our own worst enemies. We constantly have to defend ourselves when customers tell us they can get cheap prices elsewhere."
Lincoln Barnwell, who along with his brother bought his father out of the business, said that over the years the company had lost work to B1 printers. “The final straw was this year when we lost a lovely order because we couldn’t compete,” he said.
“With the new SRA1 press we will gain two shifts of spare capacity a week and because it is H-UV it has opened up a world of short runs while still being able to compete on long runs.
"At the same time it is securing the company’s future and the jobs it holds. We are not in to talking doom and gloom, we see this as a very exciting time,” he added.
