The additional machine was installed at the Brighton-based printer last week.
Lynn Brazier, one of the company’s joint managing directors alongside Steve Poland, told Printweek: “We have always outsourced die-cutting for our sheetfed work, so this enables us to keep more finishing in-house and without the cost of dies being made.”
Brazier said the VeloBlade could handle a slightly larger sheet, cut substrates twice the depth, and was more robust than another manufacturer’s machine that the company also considered.
According to Vivid, to purchase the VeloBlade Volta 69+ outright costs less than £150 a week.
The business has also recently swapped energy suppliers and is now using 100% renewable energy from gas and electric. It is also currently researching and on the verge of ordering solar panels, which would generate more than 84% of its electricity going forward.
“We believe it is essential to do what we can to help create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly environment,” said Brazier.
Operating out of two adjacent units with a combined space of 866sqm, One Digital currently employs 15 staff and had a turnover of just over £2m to March 2020.
Brazier said that sales were down since due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but that after making five redundancies last year and by using the furlough scheme when needed, its financial position has remained the same.
“We continue to use the furlough scheme when business slows but we have seen a busy few months when all staff have been working,” said Brazier, who added the business is feeling positive about the second half of 2021 and seeing business bounce back.
One Digital also operates a wide range of litho and digital printing and finishing kit, including an Iridesse and an iGen 5 from Xerox and two five-colour Heidelberg Speedmasters, a 74 and a 52. It also runs wide-format kit from Epson, Roland DG, HP and Summa.
One Digital began trading as Digaprint in 1996 and gained its current name after merging with Carmichaels in 2005. It supplies a wide range of print, from business cards and brochures to exhibition materials, to a varied customer base.
