The Leeds-based company installed the £50,000 machine in June and saw an immediate productivity boost.
“It has speeded turnarounds and saved 75% on labour times, as we can print on more signs at the same time,” said director Rob Haywood.
“Before, it was taking three or four times longer on the machine it replaced – a Roland LEF 20 – which was a smaller printer with a smaller bed.”
Founded around four years ago, The Sign Shed is an online supplier of health and safety signage and has doubled its turnover every year.
Haywood's three-staff family business currently turns over £250,000 and also runs a Roland TrueVis VG-540 for work such as sticker production. He hopes to add 50% to turnover in a year.
The new VersaUV S-Series LEC-330S-F200 UV printer, supplied by reseller Printmax, can print onto virtually any flexible or rigid substrate or object up to 200mm in height. It has a bed size of 826x2,090mm.
Haywood's team used to print graphics and letters on vinyl for signs. Using the new machine they can now print accurate CMYK, white and gloss directly onto composite aluminium, rigid plastics, Foamex and Corex.
By removing the vinyl application step, this makes the signmaking process faster while also freeing up the existing Roland TrueVis VG-540 for work such as sticker production.
“We've used Roland printers from the start, beginning with a Roland BN-20,” said Haywood. “The new Roland printer has the latest UV inks and it fit neatly into our new premises.
“Our customers also want a fast turnaround, so the addition of the new machine to reduce manufacturing times by three-quarters was great,” added Haywood.
