Two weeks ago the trade finisher took delivery of a Gordian Strapping Strapack JK-5000 ram bundling automatic strapping machine, which was supplied by Gordian Strapping agent Castle.

The JK-5000 is said to offer an efficient way of compressing and strapping paper products where throughput is relatively low.

“We had a very old strapping machine but nobody wanted that service for a few years. Now it’s coming back in vogue so we wanted to do something about it,” said ECM co-owner Andrew Wilson, who runs the business alongside his brother Simon Wilson.

The firm has also had a new unit added to its existing Smipack T452 heat shrink tunnel in the last two weeks by UK Smipack distributor Adpak. This add-on keeps certain products flat during shrinkwrapping.

“This stay-flat unit will mainly be used for calendars – we do quite a bit of wire-binding and single copy shrinkwrapping so we needed something that would keep them as flat as you can physically keep them without crushing the wire,” said Wilson.

“We would previously collate and wire-bind everything and customers would then pick them up and try and get them shrinkwrapped elsewhere.”

The wire-binders, from Renz, and collating machinery from Col-Tec have also been purchased in stages by the business over the past three years as part of its investment programme, which also included a move to larger premises in early 2015. The company also runs five MBO folders and a Muller Martini Primera saddle stitcher.

“The new kit has strengthened the business and gives us other markets to look at and go into,” said Wilson.

ECM Print Finishers, which was established in 2010, has 10 staff and operates from a 929sqm unit in Preston, Lancashire. The company mainly serves small to medium sized printers in the North of England.