Following several years of reviewing the options, Jamie Bowes, director at First Display, has installed the company's first flatbed wide-format printer, after signing for it at Fespa in Cologne last month.
Bowes went to SGIA in Las Vegas, Fespa “four or five times”, Sign and Digital UK and Shanghai International AD & Sign Expo, which he also combined with a visit to banner material suppliers in China in his quest for the perfect flatbed.
But it was not until the company moved to a much larger premises, a 650sqm site in central Edinburgh nearly three times the size of its previous plant, that it had room to install a flatbed, and so purchased an HP Scitex FB750.
“I think I’d been looking for too long for one. A few of my mates in the industry said it was about time I made my mind up, but it’s difficult in the UK to get impartial advice,” he said.
“The Scitex made financial sense. We do a lot of work on boards. I like it because it’s a hybrid and it’s fed from the rear. We do a lot of A1 and A2 foam boards so we can fit three or four on at once. We can do a 100 foam boards in a day within 24-48 hours, it would’ve taken us a week to do that before.
“With this machine we will save £600 or £700 a month on vinyl and 40 hours a week in time spent mounting.”
Bowes said he would not be reducing headcount, however, in fact he said the business has so much work – not least from the Edinburgh Festival in August – that he will soon move from a 9am to 6pm operation to a 8am to 10pm to put through more orders.
“We’re busy enough to cope. We do a lot of commercial signs, especially for property developers and agents. Our target is to increase our turnover by 50%.”
He added: “The machine is a mid-range and 2.5m-wide because that suits us,” he added. “The inks are good and hold on. It seemed a better choice than the EFI option.”
The HP Scitex FB750 can handle boards of up to 3,020x2,500mm and 64mm thick, or up to six separate boards, at speeds of up to 21.1sqm/hr.
The business also runs seven roll-to-roll printers, four solvent and three aqueous machines, from Roland and Epson, although Bowes did not want to reveal details.
First Display also recently spent around £20,000 on a Miller Weldmaster T300 which heat seals and hems banners, saving on hemming tape, bringing the investment up to just over £100,000.
The company, which has 11 staff and a turnover of just over £500,000, was established 11 years ago, offering vehicle wraps for taxis.
