The Swansea-based outfit signed for the semi-automatic machine on Friedheim’s stand at Ipex, one of a raft of machinery sold by the supplier at last week’s Birmingham show, but print production director Marcus Treadwell said that Harcourt had planned to purchase prior to the show. It replaces an older B26 model at the premises of the 25-staff firm.
Harcourt said: “We didn’t have to do any tremendous searching around the market, it was something that we wanted and was more of an upgrade really.
“It’s a newer model and it will hopefully have a lot of life in it. Folding machines tend to wear out the same as presses and other machines when they’re heavily worked so hopefully this is here for a while. It can fold quickly and runs though work quite quickly, so is a bit of an enhancer for the finishing department.
“It does have some automation features but is not fully automated so requires a bit of input from the operator.”
Taking a maximum sheet size of 1,000x660mm, the MBO has four buckle plates and can run at maximum speeds of up to 205m/min. It has a fold roller diameter of 44mm and a slitter shaft diameter of 35mm.
The machine will join Harcourt’s roster of kit that includes a 2016-purchased Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75, a Ricoh digital press and a range of finishing equipment. It produces a whole range of commerical print, including brochures, magazines, posters and pull-up banners, along with offering t-shirt printing services.
Other show deals to UK companies for Friedheim included two Komfi Amiga 52 laminators - one to Hampshire-based Inprint and the other to Leicester-based Words & Graphics - a Roby Junior Zechini bookbinder to London-based Printcraft and a Baumann pile turner to MPS Belfast.
It also sold its newly launched MBO K80 combi folding machine to Ireland-based Anglo Print.
Friedheim managing director Mark Bristow said he had been pleased with the level of interest at Ipex, thanking the Ipex team for a "smooth and lively show" and praising fellow exhibitors, including Apex, Duplo, Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), Morgana and Watkiss.
