Shrewsbury-based wide-format distributor CMYUK has been selling EFI Vutek machines for the past 14 years, with UK exclusivity since the collapse of Robert Horne and Paperlinx in 2015. The new deal for the FabriVu family was agreed with EFI around the end of 2017.
Two installations have already been confirmed: Staffordshire-based Printdesigns installed a FabriVu 340 earlier this month while London’s Genix Imaging set to receive its machine before the end of March.
“We are off to a flying start with two installations already and plenty of demos set up,” said CMYUK group director Robin East. “A lot of our customers like to stay on-brand and we have been vending different Vutek machines for a long time now.
“They may have been experimenting with dye-sub using more entry-level machines, but the FarbriVu lands in the mid- to high-end bracket and will help companies ready to step it up to a more industrial scale. It can produce a very nice quality while running at 160sqm per hour, which more than trebles the speed of the average entry-level machine at 40-50sqm/hr.
“Our comprehensive implementation schedules, with pre-sale consultancy and our training centre, mean we can tailor what we do to the skills and needs of each particular customer and hold their hand through the process of gaining confidence with the technology.”
EFI sales director for the UK and Nordics Martin Mayo described CMYUK as the “perfect fit” for the manufacturer due to its showroom facilities in Shrewsbury, as well as its already-significant presence in the consumables side of the market.
CMYUK offers a range of graphic production materials, and most recently signed an exclusivity deal to distribute German manufacturer Pongs' products suited to large exhibition wall wraps and event backdrops.
The firm maintains a focus on signage and decor, including plenty of materials well-suited to dye-sub. The FabriVu family is the first technology to be added to the distributor’s dye-sub offering.
It will complete its textile portfolio by distributing Netherlands-based manufacturer Klieverik’s family of heat presses and calenders. A Klieverik GTC 101-3500 graphic transfer machine will arrive at CMYUK’s showroom this week. It boasts a drum size of 365mm with a throughput of 326sqm/hr.
CMYUK will be showing at three UK trade shows this year, including taking the largest stand at Sign & Digital when it returns to the NEC, Birmingham, at the end of April.
