The Drupa-launched machine, which was purchased from Agfa-owned Litho Supplies, was installed at the Redditch-based firm’s 511sqm premises around two months ago.
It replaced an ageing 2m-wide EFI Vutek that the business had been using for around a decade and has now scrapped.
The new press, which cost around £120,000, is a six-colour-plus-white high-speed hybrid UV LED-curable inkjet capable of speeds of up to 115sqm/hr. It is fitted with air-cooled UV LED lamps, which the company said would save energy, costs and time.
The air-cooled UV LED lights, which can be switched on and off instantly, enable the Anapurna to print on thin, heat-sensitive material.
PSW managing director Mathew Skinner told PrintWeek: “The machine is a lot easier, faster and higher quality and we can now print direct onto acrylic because of the white facility and onto clear Priplak for presentation covers. It’s been a brilliant investment.”
The business looked at a range of alternatives from manufacturers including EFI and Mimaki but opted for the Agfa machine after being informed about it prior to its Drupa launch.
“We were planning to visit Drupa when Litho Supplies introduced us to its parent company, Agfa Graphics,” said PSW director Philip Skinner.
“Prior to the launch of the Anapurna H2500i LED we were asked to sign a non-disclosure document and invited to Agfa’s showroom in Belgium to see the machine for ourselves. We were so impressed that we placed our order and cancelled the intended trip to Drupa.”
PSW Paper & Print, which has 30 staff and a turnover of £2.2m, also operates an HP Indigo 7800, which it bought last year, plus a range of smaller HP wide-format devices and Konica Minolta digital kit.
Other aspects of the business include three retail outlets based in Studley, Worcester and Alcester, which offer artist, design and office materials, as well as a dealership selling copiers and inkjet printers.
The company produces a wide variety of print from stationery and brochures to display material for exhibitions, shopping centres and office interiors for clients ranging from small businesses to blue-chip companies.
