The purchases form part of a 4.2m spend designed to make Taylor Bloxham "more competitive in the marketplace", according to operational development director Wesley Sykes. One further purchase of a stitching machine, the order for which should be placed in the next six weeks, will complete the firm's shopping list.
The Leicester-based company has bought a KBA 74 Karat direct imaging press and will take delivery of its second 12-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster SM102 in July.
Taylor Bloxham has been looking at digital presses since 1998 and underwent an "exhaustive selection process" before settling on the 74 Karat with in-line coating and plastic printing capability.
Sykes said the most significant factors in the Karat buy were waste saving, in terms of materials and labour, its "seamless quality with litho" and its versatility. "We looked very carefully and we tested it with customers and got really good feedback. People were singing its praises," Sykes said.
He said that the second Speedmaster was bought because the first was so successful. The new press will be supplied with Heidelberg's CutStar reel to sheet system which made the firm much more competitive he added.
The company claimed that 12-colour technology has helped it win business back from the continent.
The purchases come hard on the heels of news that Taylor Bloxham has become the first UK printer to use JDF integration between its MIS and its UpFront production planning software. See earlier story here.
Story by Ruth Nicholas
