The machine, set to arrive later this month at BPD’s triple factory site in Cramlington, Northumberland, will form the core of the retail-focused display and marketing printer's stable.
At up to 75 linear m/min, and a maximum board size of 1.4x2.4m, the Nozomi will be able to pump out BPD’s varied job load at high speed.
Will Skelchy, BPD’s managing director, told Printweek the investment was “testament to [BPD’s] determination to meet the demands of the modern retailer’s reactive approach to driving footfall and increasing basket spend”.
“Customers often like to see the best possible offer they can deliver, which means waiting until the very last moment – which means we need reactive capacity.
“[Making the investment] just makes us faster to market. It has to be done.”
Bought directly from EFI, the Nozomi will go in alongside BPD’s two HP Scitex 11000 flatbed presses.
The business also runs a Ricoh Pro C9500 sheetfed press as its primary printer for smaller-format work.
The new single-pass inkjet, and a Mimaki JFX200 also installed this summer, were the fruits of a successful trip to Drupa in June, when the BPD team got to see the latest developments in person.
“It was a while since I had been, but I was well impressed: the technology has moved on dramatically,” Skelchy said.
“We’re hoping to see a good increase [in sales] – we’ve got a lot of tenders on the go, so fingers crossed.”
BPD employs around 60 staff.