York-based Harrisons Signs has invested in a new Mimaki SUV wide format printer to meet the increasing customer demand for fast turnaround jobs.
Peter Robinson of Harrisons Signs explained, ‘With our current high workload, we were starting to see production bottle necks which we were keen to eliminate. Having used Mimaki printers since the early years of this century (a JV3 followed by a JV33 that is still providing great service) we eagerly accepted an invitation from PaperlinX to test drive the latest technology in its demonstration suite.’
Mr Robinson said that the potential for cost and efficiency savings in all areas of production was one of the main reasons for its investment. ‘Whilst the new machine has only been in use for a couple of months, we are already reaping the rewards and expect a very early return on investment,’ he said.
Ease of use was a key factor in the decision, ‘With similar technology and interface coupled with valuable onsite training from PaperlinX, the transition was virtually seamless and delivered almost immediate production benefits,’ he added.
Of particular interest to Harrisons was the instantly dry print delivered by the new printer. ‘The speed of the whole job is an essential real-world calculation and with this we’ve got new found flexibility. Much of the time, we’re cutting out post-print processes such as laminating which makes us more competitive and efficient.’
Mr Robinson estimates that the business has realised an efficiency gain of around 25% and the new technology has enabled it to offer customers additional services. ‘A 30m print run might previously have taken as long as four and a half hours to output, the new SUV reduces this to around three to three and a half hours, which is a significant time saving,’ he said.
