This has seen a Scodix Ultra 6000 SHD press installed at its facility in Dublin. It is located alongside a Landa S10 nanographic printing press and Highcon Beam 2 digital cutting and creasing system.

McGowans serves the European market with a full range of digital large format and small format products. With over 26 machines, the company offers a large range of printed products to its clients. This latest investment is set to deliver ‘high-quality B1 format products’, with improved production efficiency, economic and sustainable benefits also claimed.

McGowans’ growing print volumes have encouraged an expansion of its B1 digital workflow.

According to Mal McGowan, CEO of McGowans, key to the company’s decision to invest in another Scodix press were the data-driven sustainability benefits and economic advantages. He commented, ‘As soon as we saw the Scodix Ultra 6000 SHD press in action, it became a must-have and we knew the added value it would bring to our business. Our customers are used to the ‘wow factor’ they can get from Scodix product decoration, and now with our Ultra 6000, we can offer them even more choices for designs with fine detailing. The quality and versatility of what we can do on the Scodix opens more unique possibilities for our company, while supporting in cutting our production costs and raise our sustainability benchmarks.’

Franz Repp, president of Scodix EMEA, said, ‘McGowans is a first-class provider that insists on nothing less than the finest print products for its customers while finding solutions to increase production efficiency and economics in their production line. We are thrilled they have chosen to add another Scodix press to enhance its proficient workflow.’

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‘The level of investment that the management has allowed, shows the confidence they have in the new direction and strategy that the University is going through,’ commented Ollie Renshaw, business and systems manager, print and mail service, University of Leeds. ‘Underneath every decision that they make, the University has always put the experience of the students at the very top. With the new digital strategy taking hold, we are bringing our print production facilities in line with all the multi-functional devices (MFDs) in each department. We at print and mail want to be the best at what we can do, the University has a three-year plan for us, and the director of campus innovation is excited to see all our new developments.’

Mr Renshaw continued, ‘From Konica Minolta, we purchased the AccurioPress C12000 – the first in our sector in the UK – the AccurioPress C7100 and two AccurioPress 6120s. All are powered by Konica Minolta’s print controllers with AccurioPro Flux Ultimate workflow. The setup gives us flexibility as well as the capacity to keep up with extremely heavy periods of work.’

Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta UK said, ‘The package provided to the print and mail centre at the University of Leeds represents the latest in Konica Minolta production print technology, automation tools and workflow integration. We are pleased to work in partnership with Duplo UK to deliver the University a future proof solution that once optimised will enable it to meet its strategic goals and deliver a best-in-class student experience.’

For Duplo, this includes the UK’s first installation of the DC-648 multi-finisher, the flagship iSaddle 5.0, the PFi Blade B2 and the DuBinder DPB-500 binder.

‘The Duplo machines are just fabulous. My operators think the automation and ease of use on the DC-648 is second to none. Normal jobs are all set up and the print is just fed through, taking the stress and hours upon hours of manual work away. We have so many different jobs coming through that this machine is a lifesaver. The iSaddle 5.0 was a much more in-depth learning experience, it gives us so much more options to give to the students and staff, and it’s easy to set up and run. Students can buy a coffee and the job is usually ready before they’re finished!’ Mr Renshaw continued, ‘I’m really excited about the PFi Blade though. That is definitely something we want to expand upon. It allows us to make print sexy again when Covid decimated our volumes. Duplo has sent us their sample jobs and we’ve been playing around with the machine. It allows our event products to be much more exciting.’

Wendy Hogg, regional sales manager for Duplo UK said, ‘The combination of Konica Minolta’s high-speed presses along with Duplo’s offline finishing means that print and mail can produce more jobs, much faster, more sustainably with minimal waste, and much cheaper than ever before. The University has a very strong corporate strategy and it’s amazing to see that the student experience is still 100% at the core of everything they do. It allows print and mail to make coming to the University of Leeds as special as it can be. When you look at the production facility, it’s clean, it’s hi-tech and there are screens everywhere. It really impresses students when they see it, and it challenges their expectations of what print can be.’

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Mr Cano will oversee an international team that is focused on driving the promotion of Screen’s three main product ranges – Truepress Jet for commercial printing, Truepress Label for labels and Truepress Pac for packaging applications.

As marketing director, Mr Cano will spearhead the development and execution of comprehensive marketing campaigns. ‘In this role, Juan will leverage his deep understanding of the digital printing industry and market dynamics. His expertise in effectively communicating Screen’s value proposition to key stakeholders, combined with his exceptional public speaking skills, will further strengthen the company’s brand presence, perceived image and support its continued growth in the European digital print market,’ said Akihiro Fujii, president of Screen Europe. ‘We are thrilled to have Juan leading our marketing efforts in Europe.’

Mr Cano will combine his new role with the position of Screen Europe’s business development director for flexible packaging that he has held since 2020. His dual role will provide him with an in-depth understanding of customer needs and industry dynamics, positioning him to drive impactful marketing strategies and deliver measurable results.

Mr Cano commented, ‘I am honoured to take on the additional role of marketing director at a time when Screen is not only showing strong growth in its core markets but is also breaking into new ones, like packaging. I look forward to further enhancing our market presence through compelling marketing strategies and am committed to driving customer engagement, strengthening brand perception, and fuelling the growth of Screen in the European market.’

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The initiative is part of the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The solar panel plant has a capacity of 1,569KWp and is expected to generate over 1.7 million KWh of energy annually. This corresponds to approximately more than half of the energy demand of Durst’s Brixen headquarters. The installation consists of 3410 modules, two separate plants and 14 inverters.

The plant will produce 70% of the generated energy for direct self-consumption, while the remaining 30% will be available for feed-in or future storage. The technology used includes power optimisers by Solaredge, and the company claims that these ‘maintain the performance of a series of modules even in the presence of partial shading or pollution.’

‘Following our installation of a solar panel plant at our production site in Lienz/Austria in 2022, we are thrilled to have installed now one of the biggest solar panel plants in South Tyrol at our headquarters in Brixen,’ commented Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst Group. ‘Our commitment to sustainability is a core value at Durst, and this new installation is a testament to that commitment. We are proud to take this important step towards reducing our carbon footprint and making a positive impact on the environment.’

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Stocksigns, a specialist supplier of health and safety signage, is also long-standing swissQprint customer, having used a first-generation Impala since 2010, when it was the fifteenth swissQprint machine to be placed in the UK, and it helped the business transition from silkscreen to digital printing.

Recently, the company wanted to replace the Impala with a newer machine. While research to find a replacement machine was wide-reaching, the company’s prior knowledge of swissQprint technology played a crucial role in the decision. The business still undertook a full market review, which included seeking testimonials from current users, a lifetime ROI analysis, hands-on competitor comparisons and a full demonstration across a variety of substrates and materials to ensure the Impala was once again the right choice.

Low environmental impact was also a key factor in Stocksigns’ decision. With a reduction in energy consumption to 2.2kW, the fourth-generation Impala reduces the company’s carbon footprint. With the printer’s installation, the firm anticipates that production times will halve, effectively doubling capacity in the manufacture of its health and safety, statutory and construction site signage.

David Cload, group production manager at Stocksigns, said, ‘Having used our Impala for many years, we’re delighted to be the proud owners of swissQprint’s 100th machine in the UK. We are confident that it will continue to deliver high-impact signage while significantly reducing our environmental impact.’

Erskine Stewart, managing director at swissQprint, commented, ‘We’re thrilled to have achieved this milestone with Stocksigns. Their purchase of our 100th machine in the UK reaffirms our position as a provider of reliable, cutting-edge printing technology, and is a clear demonstration of our ongoing commitment to excellence.’

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Dominion claims to be one of a ‘select’ number of printers with the ability to provide super-large options and applications. The latest investment follows a recent £1 million investment in a Durst Rho 2500 flatbed printer, along with an additional in-line welding and eyeleting machine and further in-line, fully automatic sewing machines.

Verity Fox, director at Dominion Print, said, ‘Back in 1997 my father, Dominic Clark, invested in the Vutek UltraVu 5300 which, at the time, was state-of-the-art wide-format digital technology. Twenty-six years later, we’ve come full circle. Dad taught me from being knee high that in print you need to invest to stay ahead of the competition. We shared many double espressos discussing the various machine options and viewing samples prior to deciding on the Vutek Q5r and signing on the dotted line! With the extraordinary speed and quality, it seemed the right fit to be going back to Vutek after all this time. The installation and commissioning of the machine was bittersweet, as Dad passed away earlier this year and never got to see the machine in situ. Nevertheless, I’m excited to be adding the Vutek Q5r to our plant list and I intend to carry on his legacy of success through investment.

‘The Vutek Q5r takes Dominion’s strength in large and super-large formats to the next level, raising the bar even further for our ability to provide high-end printing at lightning speeds. The machine provides UltraDrop Technology for high-definition image quality, outstanding smoothness in shadows, gradients, and transitions, as well as superb text quality and more clarity in all print modes.’

Ms Fox continued, ‘Just prior to the Vutek’s arrival we also invested in a second Zünd G3 XL to ensure that our cutting and finishing capabilities were in step with our increased printing capacity. With its modular tool concept, no other cutting or routing machine is as flexible or adaptable. The machine will operate alongside our original Zünd G3 XL and our other finishing equipment which includes a precision cutter for aluminium profiles and a Blackman & White blade and laser CAD system which gives us the largest single bed cutting facility in Europe.’

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Mr Bromley has over 15+ years of industry experience, bringing a ‘wealth of knowledge and expertise’ to the business. He joins the company from a senior management position at MIS software vendor printIQ.

Commenting on the new appointment, Infigo CEO Douglas Gibson said, ‘We are delighted to welcome Paul to the Infigo team. As we continue to expand and develop our offering, it is essential that we bring on board individuals who have a deep understanding of the industry and what it takes to deliver a winning workflow. Paul’s wealth of experience and expertise in this area make him an excellent addition to our team.’

Mr Bromley, commented, ‘I am thrilled to be joining Infigo at such an exciting time. The company’s focus on providing innovative web-to-print solutions that meet the needs of modern businesses is impressive, and I look forward to being a part of this dynamic team.’ He continued, ‘Generating both growth and success is the main objective and this goes for both existing and future customers.’

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Built on the existing ImagePress line, the V1000 was said at launch to improve quality, consistency, media flexibility and productivity for an extended range of commercial work. Customers appear to agree: print service and design provider Medienhaven in Bremen, Germany, invested in the V1000 with the optional Sensing Unit. Managing director Peer Rüdiger explained, ‘We often use different finishing equipment when producing packaging applications so prints need to align perfectly for die-cutting. We chose the ImagePress V1000 because it has very high registration accuracy and can help support our wider processes.

‘We’ve been extremely happy with the quality of the ImagePress V1000 and how it has allowed us to produce luxurious applications on thicker substrates. The colour stability is much better than our previous press and we’ve been very excited by the matte-finish – this is quite unusual for a toner press.’

Commercial printer CopyCat near Oslo installed three V1000s. Geir Thorbjørnsen, co-founder and general manager, commented ‘When we saw test prints from the ImagePress V1000 we were impressed with the matte finish and offset-like quality. With the addition of the Sensing Unit, on-the-fly colour adjustments and front-to-back registration, we can ensure that output quality is consistent throughout the entire print run. Our other key investment factors were the higher speed of the press, reduced energy consumption, and the option to produce duplex banners, which will enable us to expand our offering in this area.’

Jennifer Kolloczek, European planning, marketing and innovation senior director, production print at Canon Europe said, ‘We’re delighted to see so many printers across EMEA growing their businesses with the imagepress V1000. We know that commercial and in-house printers face shortening timelines and more diverse briefs. This product was designed to exceed customer expectations from a toner press, providing reliability and flexibility to meet the demands of today’s print buyers. The positive feedback from so many customers proves that improvements in productivity, flexibility and automation can unlock commercial opportunities and stimulate new levels of success.’

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After holding annual virtual showcases, Tecnau will stage a physical presentation of its technology. Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), Tecnau’s UK and Ireland distribution partner, will host UK operations looking to develop their print production capabilities.

Attendees will be able to see the latest integrated options in post-press paper handling automation for digital printing that support an array of applications, including transactional printing, transpromo, direct mail, publishing, graphic arts, books on demand and short runs.

The event will host live and virtual demonstrations of many of Tecnau’s feeding and finishing products for high-speed production digital presses. They include versions of the new Revolution 50 series for high-speed cutting and stacking of web-fed inkjet output, fully automated BookReady and Stack 1212 for cutting B2/B2+ press sheets down to finished size in a single pass, and a member of Tecnau’s Libra family of book finishing systems. Attendees will be able to participate in a networking forum with colleagues from across the industry.

Eric Keane, IFS managing director, commented, ‘After a couple of years of virtual Spring Forward with Tecnau events, this in-person opportunity will enable operations to explore up close and personal what Tecnau technology can deliver. Tecnau is widely recognised for its vital product development partnerships with customers and every major printer manufacturer. Its history and background in industrial automation has also enabled the development of customised solutions to support specific requests. This approach ensures the development of responsive solutions that meet today’s market demands and, in fact, several products have been inspired by customer requests. At this event UK operations will be able to see for themselves how they can drive their successful ongoing evolution.’

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The mill will focus on the strategic growth markets of luxury packaging, professional print and technical and converting papers, while Mondi will use the strength of its asset base to deliver ‘high quality and diversified products’.

As a result of this, one paper machine is due to close, and the capacity of the finishing lines will be streamlined. The change in production capacity will ‘inevitably’ have implications for the staffing level required and as Mondi has accordingly entered into consultations with its workforce at the Neusiedler mill.

An investment of €20 million has been approved to increase energy efficiency at the mill, and to ensure the necessary upgrades to machines, infrastructure and buildings. This investment is also in line with Mondi’s Map2030 sustainability commitments, which includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with science-based targets.

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