The firm has ordered a highly-automated 16pp M600 from Goss International that will be configured with integrated, high-speed Kodak Prosper inkjet heads for full-colour variable printing inline.
Manchester-based Gask & Hawley currently runs a battery of sheetfed presses, including eight- and 12-colour long perfectors, as well as HP Indigo digital kit.
Six years ago the company also had two web offset facilities, but closed both down during the financial crisis.
Its current facilities span printing, direct mail, print management, logistics, and web-to-print.
The firm's clients include Tag Heuer, Manchester United FC, Santander and Novartis.
In a statement announcing the press deal, managing director Dave Hatton said: “We manage entire marketing campaigns for many of our clients, so the more we can successfully integrate and streamline processes, the greater the advantage to everyone.”
Hatton and his team travelled to the United States, where a number of printers are running hybrid systems of this type, to evaluate the technology prior to placing the order.
The firm initially expected to configure its new setup with a monochrome inkjet option, but opted for four-colour after seeing the potential for full-colour inkjet.
The new M600 will be installed in September. It has Autoplate, a Contiweb zero-speed splicer, JF-48 jaw folder and Vits Rotocut sheeter for producing press-finished products inline.
Eight Kodak Prosper S20 inkjet heads will be sited after the dryer unit, providing an inkjet swathe up to 21.2cm wide that can be positioned across the web where required. The heads have a print speed of 600 metres per minute.
One of Gask & Hawley’s key product offerings is consumer leaflets for retail clients with personalisation and multiple versions.
PrintWeek understands the new hybrid Goss web will revolutionise the production of this type of product. It will improve productivity by as much as 85% on some jobs compared with its current sheetfed production, according to Goss.
The installation is a further boost to the manufacturer, which has recently secured major web press orders with York Mailing/Pindar and Polestar.
“We’re obviously absolutely delighted with this order,” said sales director John Chambers.
“This is a new and unique configuration that puts Gask & Hawley at the cutting edge with a truly game-changing capability.”
