The Sheffield-based company has replaced an ageing Cron UV CTP system with the new device, which was supplied by SOS (Service Offset Supplies) and installed at its 1,858sqm site in early December.

Northend production director Richard Green said there were several reasons for the investment including, most prominently, the need to move to more environmentally friendly production.

“This is the latest in a series of investments aimed at carbon-balancing our business, which included a low-power [Ryobi LED-UV] SRA1 press and [Horizon StitchLiner MKIII] stitching line,” he said.

“As it is now possible to use processless plates with our LED-UV offset press, we decided it was time to upgrade our platemaking to a cleaner system with no chemical or water waste.”

He added: “We were getting quality issues with our old system, which relied on regular attention and maintenance to perform at the required level.

“The new machine is much more ‘dummy proof’ and saves time and manpower, so we get more reliable quality and a higher throughput. Also, the lower footprint and clean operation mean we have been able to relocate platemaking into our digital room.”

Green said that while the company also looked at a range of alternatives from other suppliers in a similar price range, it went with SOS “because we have always found their support to be exceptional”.

Northend was on course to hit an annual turnover of £5m prior to Covid-19. Although business has reduced during the pandemic, the company has continued to invest throughout.

It has an updated IT infrastructure in place while a new MIS system from PrintIQ should be up and running in early April.

The 40-staff company serves end users, print management companies and B2C customers, among others. It also runs Ricoh digital kit while its other in-house services include laminating, folding, drilling, and picking and packing.