Managing director Mal McGowan said: "The choice of the Rho 1030 is to help us remain ahead of competition and provide a better service for our customers. The kit is quite simply the best in its class for productivity and quality of print."

The machine was the fastest fully automated flatbed printer available, said McGowan, and capable of production speeds of up to 1,000sqm/hr without compromising print quality. Durst’s Quadro Array 30M printhead carriage has more than 65,000 nozzles. The Rho is an addition to existing machines and has a list price of around €1.15m (£990,000).

"Speed and full automation with automated loading and unloading makes it good for both industrial production and as a standalone facility. It is capable of parallel printing of boards and perfect reverse-side printing. Options include corrugated board printing, roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet configurations.

"We took the Rho 1030 because we needed to increase capacity. We first saw the kit at a Durst innovation day in Lienz, Austria, in April and were so impressed by its performance. We wanted a machine that offered fully automated production. It is also really fast.

"We are aiming for further diversification and growth and see the Rho 1030 as part of our future. I think we could very soon be looking at Durst’s roll-to-roll printers, in particular, the Rho P10 for its superb quality of print."

McGowans’ 90 staff is based in two factories, in Dublin and Belfast, and the company has a sales presence in London. It supplies digitally printed retail products, including POS, display units, floor graphics, signage and vehicle wraps for retailers such as Lidl and Primark as well as agencies. 

Its large-format line-up includes an Inca, an M-Press Tiger, six machines from HP including Indigo and latex printers, a Nur Expedio and a screen line. These are supported by a laminator and both Kongsburg and Zünd automatic cutting tables.

"We have had a long relationship with Durst installing a very early Lambda, and today we have two Lambdas," said McGowan. "Our first digital inkjet machine was an Inca Eagle 44, which I believe was only the third to be installed anywhere."