Last Bros Allprint will launch on 1 August. Newly appointed sales and marketing executive Dean Latchford said the merger will herald “a rebirth” for the business, which turns 70 next year.

The group will be installing a new Focus dFlex UV digital inkjet label press with two flexo units into its Labels division in late August, and is also likely to bring in a Xerox Versant 180 digital press for a Xerox Color 550. Two Edale flexo machines will be retained as backup to the circa £320,000 dFlex.

The four-colour dFlex, developed by Focus Label Machinery, can reach production speeds of up to 70m/min, using Konica Minolta Colourprint drop-on-demand heads. Last Bros’ machine will be configured with built-in lamination and rotary die-cutting. 

"This self-contained unit [the dFlex] will augment and improve on our existing traditional Edale Flexo machinery," said Latchford. 

“This is a great step in the right direction for us and will make us that much more competitive.” 

Launched in April, the Versant 180 runs at a top speed of 80ppm, taking paper weights from 52gsm to 350gsm at a maximum sheet size of 330x660mm.

The combined 22-staff Last Bros businesses total just shy of £1.5m in sales. Last Bros (Tabs Direct) runs a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52, along with Scott-Precision tabbing machines. Both businessses run a range of finishing equipment and Heidelberg Platens.