The Versafire was installed last month at Core's 1,100sqm Glasgow premises, replacing a Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C6000, and the StitchLiner, which replaced a Setmaster bookletmaker, came in the previous month. The cost of the investment was not disclosed. 

Sales director Paul Kerr said: “It is certainly the plan to open up new markets, and the Versafire is also linked with our Prinect software so we’re trying to get a bit of continuity for all the machines we have so it’s all run off the same colour network.”

The five-colour (CMYK plus white) Versafire, runs at a top speeds of 2,700 A4sph and 2,400 A3sph at a maximum resolution of 1,200x4,800dpi. It prints on a variety of substrates of 52-360gsm and uses a Heidelberg Prinect Digital Front End.

Kerr was attracted by the possibilities that the white option can bring to Core’s output and has already sent a mailout to its customers. He added that he believes Core is the only company in Glasgow to be operating with the newly upgraded Versafire with fifth colour. 

Although Core runs double day shifts, the Versafire will run on single shifts, increasing to double days when demand dictates.

The StitchLiner, supplied by IFS, runs at 5,500bph, taking coated and uncoated stock weighing between 64gsm and 210gsm. It takes sheets at a maximum size of 350x500mm.

“It’s fully automated, it’s all computer programmed, very easy for setup of jobs and it creases and folds and can do a lot more than the average bookletmaker. So it will save time,” added Kerr.

Alongside the new kit, Core also runs a Speedmaster SM 52, fed by a 2015-purchased Heidelberg Suprasetter A52, which also uses Prinect, along a large-format Mutoh machine. It produces a wide variety of commercial and agency work.