The Pontypridd-based subsidiary of Zenith Print Group took delivery of the new machine in mid-August to enhance the quality and speed of its output for high-quality packaging, such as coin collection gift packs.
The £500,000 investment is part of a circa-£6m year-long plan to increase efficiency and diversify capability across the group. A Heidelberg B1 Speedmaster XL 106 with Push to Stop was installed for £2.5m at sister company Zenith Media, Pontypool, in May, while another £2.5m 106 to accommodate both packaging and general print will be taken on in October.
Group managing director John Mooney said: “We have plans to take on a lot of new equipment over the year – including a new binder and stitching line – and we are very much a Heidelberg company thanks to the totally open relationship we enjoy with them.
“I recognise that smaller printers are disappearing at a rapid rate and you must be efficient and offer a very broad, high-quality range of products in order to survive. Heidelberg listens to what we want to do and guides us to the equipment with which to do it.
“Our packaging output is very much at the top end, where customers are happy to spend more for high quality and extra embellishments. With this new Promatrix, we can improve the foiling in our offering as demand in packaging has increased exponentially, while reducing lead times and improving the skills and capabilities of our staff.”
Zenith Print & Packaging’s new Promatrix 106 FC applies hot foil embossing and hologram effects onto stocks from 90-2,000gsm or 4mm corrugated material, all in formats up to up to 760x1,060mm. It has a maximum speed of 7,500sph and runs with a computerised stamping control system to increase precision.
Turning out runs from 500 up to 500,000 units, it may also be used on promotional work carried out by Zenith Media if required. It is Zenith's third machine from Heidelberg that is an OEM of a product from Chinese manufacturer Masterwork – following on from a Promatrix 106CS die-cutter and a Diana Smart 80 folder-gluer.
With a Suprasetter CTP device and two more Speedmaster XL 106s in its Heidelberg portfolio, the Zenith Print Group comprises 250 staff across Zenith Print & Packaging, Zenith Media and C3 Imaging, with a total turnover of around £25m.
