The new Thando 105P machine replaces a 10-year-old pile turner and handles B2 as well as the B1 work tackled by the old model.

"Health and safety is an obvious consideration but productivity is also important," said financial director Paul Wilson.

"It was the first thing the operators asked us to buy after we installed a new Heidelberg SM74 press earlier this summer because it took them up to 20 minutes to turn over pallets manually.

The new Thando, supplied by Encore Machinery, used an aeration system to separate sheets and a jogger to align the stack, he said. Previously a forklift truck was used, limiting it to B2 format.

Wilson said he was swayed by the competitive price and the trouble-free decade of use from the old Thando.

Story by Jez Abbott