Canon has reported two significant recent installations, with London-based CB Printforce UK taking a ColorStream 8000 web press and iX3200 sheet-fed inkjet, while Data Mail Solutions of West Sussex opted for a ColorStream 6000 complemented by an ImagePress V1000 sheet-fed toner press.
Printforce was founded in 2001 in the Netherlands and arrived in the UK in 2019 with the launch of its soft cover production line, shortly followed by an expansion to include hard covers. The ColorStream 8000 and VarioPrint iX 3200have been added to increase capacity, speed and quality. They have enabled Printforce to shift to roll-to-roll printing with a separate finishing system, which provides increased stability and flexibility throughout the production workflow. With theaddition of the iX sheet-fed press, the company is better positioned to begin phasing out toner equipment and move fully to inkjet, in order to maximise efficiency.
Since installing the ColorStream 8000, the company has increased production speed from 75 to 133m/min. This has also provided more flexibility and efficiency in paper choice, allowing the business to offer a more diverse range of applications, while minimising waste. Low power and ink consumption levels were also key considerations in the investment decision.
Meanwhile, print and direct mail agency Data Mail Solutions (DMS) has invested in Canon’s ColorStream 6000, ImagePress V1000 and Prisma workflow to accelerate its digital transformation at its new factory in Crawley, West Sussex. DMS was the first company in the UK to install Canon’s VarioPrint iX3200 in 2020; and the more recent installations at its new factory will ‘take its printing ecosystem to the next level’, with the ColorStream and ImagePress V1000 expected to increase quality and improve productivity so that the business can keep up with evolving demands across the multiple industries it serves.
Sustainability and end-user cost efficiency were key considerations when choosing technology investment, especially as DMS has been a certified carbon balanced printer since February 2021 and plans to become carbon neutral by 2030. So far, DMS reports an over 200% increase in its current digital production speeds and anticipates that the secure Prisma Production workflow tools will provide the data needed to maximise the performance of these devices, including monitoring, analysis and cost allocation.
