The devices were installed at the firm’s Stratford, East London facility on 23 December and replaced a Morgana Documaster.
“The Documaster functioned as an all-in-one machine for us and we wanted to upgrade it but because we didn’t feel there was any all-in-one alternative we decided on these two new bits of kit instead,” said Brightside’s national group sales director Laurence Hobbs.
“It means we can do things bigger and better, which is what we need because our runs seem to be getting longer and longer and having to stand and mollycoddle the Documaster for long periods of time was getting a bit much,” he added.
The System AF2000S has an air-assisted, high-capacity dual bin feeder with a front edge trimmer unit and can produce up to 3,000bph. The DigiFold Pro meanwhile, can crease/score up to 6,000 A4 sheets/hr and the combination of both devices will not only improve the quality of Brightside’s booklet and leaflet production, but dramatically reduce turnaround times and free up staff, Hobbs explained.
“It’s a good time of year for us to get new kit because it’s a bit quieter and gives us time to get our teeth into the equipment and really get used to it. So when things start to ramp up, we’ll be ready.
“We do a lot of same-day work for people and it seems to be on the increase at the moment - we’re in a world where people want things instantly, so being able to offer a full service in-house is a real asset because we can meet that demand.”
This is the latest in a series of investments over the last nine months, with a Vivid Laminating Matrix 370 being installed last August and the Morgana Documaster, a Duplo DB-290 perfect binder and a Graphtec F-Mark automatic sheetfed cutting system installed in April.
Hobbs said the investments were intended to support recent growth.
“We are seeing a real increase in business partly because I think the world is slowly waking up after Covid and also because we’ve improved our marketing so we are having new customers daily now.
“In our industry when there’s a recession or similar, we’re often the first to get hit and first to come back from it because people suddenly want to spend money on improving their businesses again.
“I think exciting times are on the horizon and now we are in a place where we can capitalise on that.”
Hobbs said that although he didn’t plan for more kit investment in the immediate future, he had long-term plans for a potential increased facility space and subsequently more kit.
Brightside has been in operation for more than 30 years. From its circa-150sqm site, the four-staff business offers a comprehensive range of printing services including stationery, banners, and specialist printing. It also offers various web design and marketing services.
