The Co-I series is described to harness the ability of printing intricate graphics, with CMYK plus orange, red, clear, white, and primer inks, on substrates, including plastic, leather, wood, and metals with flexibility. The printers are capable of accommodating objects up to 242mm in height and 100 kg/sqm in weight, catering to three-dimensional applications. The ergonomic table design is said to facilitate the installation of tilted devices, to ensure precise printing on gently curved or uneven surfaces.

Tony Miller, Roland DG’s president of global sales and marketing division, commented, ‘Based on their material and application needs, customers can choose the best solution from five different models, including three 64in width models with a choice of three different table sizes with vacuum beds, and two 30in width models, one with a vacuum bed.’

The integrated control panel and features such as static electricity remover and automatic printhead cleaning are claimed to make for an easier operation and stable print quality, in limited workspaces.

Co-I series printers come with VersaWorks 6 software, Roland DG’s Rip, which processes PDF, EPS and PostScript files which auto-generates white, gloss and primer layers with one button.

The Co-I series also supports cloud-based services, including Roland DG Connect, for more efficient business operations and growth, with better support in the event of errors, operational visibility and easy profit calculations. It also features PrintAutoMate for businesses like e-commerce that require continuous output in large batches.

Mr Miller concluded, ‘The diversification and individualisation of consumer needs has led to an increasing demand for timely and flexible responses that are attentive to the needs of each individual customer.

‘Interest in on-demand printing, which enables speedy production of what is needed, when it is needed, and in the required quantity, are growing year by year. VersaObject’s direct printing solutions bring numerous benefits and competitive advantages to customers’ businesses, including shorter delivery times, reduced costs, flexibility, and reduced environmental impact while enabling the creation of new business opportunities.’

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Steve Wenlock, Flexpress’ managing director stated the importance of the installation with the ‘ever-shorter supply’ of skilled staff available. He said, ‘The HT-300 is a perfect example as it enables us to turn what otherwise would have been two individual jobs into one streamlined process whilst gaining productivity as opposed to losing it.

‘We’ve seen immediate improvements in productivity made possible by utilising staff elsewhere in the business and it’s stopped us having to juggle staff, or jobs around to trim books.

‘It frees up valuable staff time to focus on other areas of the business that we’re currently unable to automate.’

Flexpress also has other Horizon equipment with IceLink connectivity and is in the process of rebuilding its internal software systems to maximise the information Ice Link provides to help make more informed decisions.

Mr Wenlock added, ‘In this age, good information drives good decisions, so connected systems give you the power to analyse data more thoroughly and alert you to ways of making improvements.’

The latest investment joins a Horizon StitchLiner MKIII, a Horizon BQ-280 PUR single clamp perfect binder, a Horizon HT-30C three-sided trimmer, a Horizon CRF 362 creaser folder and a Horizon AFC-566 folder.

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Established in 2000, 3 Way Displays (3WD) provides print solutions to customers in the beauty and fragrance industries. Specialising in temporary and permanent point-of-sale displays, the company works with clients such as Harrods and Charlotte Tilbury.

In 2017 the business chose a SwissQprint Impala to deliver the detail and precision needed for luxury brands and retail displays. With the machine proving successful for the company’s needs, the 3WD team decided to visit SwissQprint UK’s Bracknell headquarters last year to see a demonstration of the latest Impala. The decision was made to invest in a second machine for installation in February 2024.

Steve Pridham, SwissQprint UK Sales Manager said, ‘Adding a second SwissQprint machine is not only testament to the Impala’s quality, but also reinforces the confidence our customers have in our machines and us as partners.’

The new Impala has a six-colour configuration including CMYK, light magenta, and light cyan, complemented by white and varnish.

The need for precise colour matching and glossy finishes are important for the business. The inclusion of varnish increases resistance to alcohol, scratching and moisture, crucial for the durability of the displays.

Olivia Stroud, 3WD’s sales director explained, ‘Accuracy in colour replication is vital for us. With the Impalas’ capabilities, we’re able to meet the high demands of the sector to produce visually stunning displays that give off a luxury feel.’

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The Big Ink Tank offers a range of services, specialising in exhibition graphics and large-format work for galleries and museums. It works with a number of high-profile clients including Peugeot and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as more local customers such as Coventry Building Society and Coventry University.

Being constantly on the lookout for new opportunities was a key factor in the firm’s decision to invest in the VeloBlade Nexus 2516, a wide-format digital die cutter with a bed size of 2500mm x 1600mm. Combined with a CNC router, the system enables users to work with materials up to 25mm thick, such as Dibond, MDF and acrylic.

Purchased in December 2023 and installed in January 2024, the Nexus has become an important part of the production setup at The Big Ink Tank. The cutter has been put to work on a range of applications, with its automation capabilities said to make life ‘much easier’ for staff.

‘The VeloBlade Nexus fits in with our existing workflow by allowing files for cutting, routing and creasing to be automatically uploaded with minimal input from our team, The Big Ink Tank’s founder, Ty Power, said. ‘We are really benefitting from the speed of the machine; we no longer have to change the tools as they are automatic.

‘The quality of the cutting is also excellent, while the fact that the vacuum keeps the cuts so clean results in a huge time saving. We are still learning about new processes that we can then launch into the market.’

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The Morgana BM4035 can produce portrait-orientation publications from A6 to A4, as well as A4 landscape and large format 297 x 297mm books. It also has the ability to corner and edge staple as standard.

NPC Print founder and CEO Natalie Puttock explained the purchase, saying, ‘We needed to expand the range of formats that we could produce. Most importantly, the ability to produce long sheets, such as A4 landscape products, a format that has become increasingly popular in recent years – jobs that we have had to send out for finishing. The ability of the new BM4035 to produce this format in-house will give us control of that work, as well as saving us money on outwork.

‘Having recently taken the decision to upgrade our digital print device to a new Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4070 engine, the new binder will help us to show off both our print and in-house finishing capabilities to the fullest. The square-back capability of the binder is a feature that we can also promote for higher pagination publications – it gives the impression of a perfect bound book.

‘The binder will initially be manually fed, but as print quantities increase, we know that we can easily add an automated feeder on to the unit for higher productivity.’

The company uses other Morgana products in its post-press section, including a Morgana AutoCreaser and an Intec ColourFlare device for foiling and laminating, purchased through Morgana.

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Finishing specialist, Polar has around 350 employees worldwide at its sites in Hofheim, Germany and Shanghai, China, and develops systems for the automation of industrial cutting and die-cutting processes. 

Mr Becker, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering, was recently the head of professional printing Germany at Konica Minolta Deutschland where he was responsible for the corresponding business unit. With more than 20 years of management and leadership experience in the printing industry, he has a broad range knowledge of the sector and expertise in national and international sales.

In his new role, Mr Becker will report directly to the Polar Group management. He commented, ‘I am looking forward to the new challenge and the exciting tasks that await me at a traditional global market leader.’

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Komori is eager to leverage its presence and market expertise, aiming for growth through its expansion into the UK and Ireland. Previous UK and Ireland distributor Friedheim stepped back from the brand’s hardware sales in early 2023, though it says it is still offering service and spares.

The new partnership builds on its experiences in France, where Komori France has reached a similar agreement with Bograma.

The collaboration also adds a dimension to its existing H+H and MBO (Komori Group) product portfolio, which Friedheim similarly continues to support and service though it stopped selling in 2020. Through incorporating Bograma into its network, Komori UK believes it can offer an even broader range of finishing solutions to existing and new customers.

Bograma, in parallel, has demonstrated its commitment by extending its factory facilities and investing in infrastructure. This expansion aligns with Komori UK’s and underscores both companyies joint commitment to providing printing and finishing solutions.

Enthused about the expanded partnership, national sales specialist postpress Tom Baker at Komori stated, ‘Our collaboration with Bograma in the UK and Ireland is a testament to our commitment to delivering high quality finishing solutions to our customers.

‘By joining forces, we aim to bring a wider array of innovative finishing options, further strengthening our position as a trusted leader in the printing industry.’

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Current IFS managing director Eric Keane has shared the following obituary:

We are very sad to learn of the passing of Tony Hards, former Chairman and Managing Director of Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) and Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE). Tony passed away aged 84 after a short illness.

Tony’s long association with IFS dates from 1965 when he joined our forerunner company Graphic Arts Equipment (GAE) as an Area Sales Representative. Tony oversaw the successful growth of GAE / IFS to become one of the leading suppliers in the UK printing industry. Obituary

Tony possessed a dogged, never-give-up approach to business and this, along with his intellect, quit wit, enquiring mind, sense of urgency and ability to see an opportunity, enabled him to quickly become established in GAE in the 1960s as the best salesperson in the company. These traits served him well in his journey over the decades with our business, all of which brought much corporate and personal success his way and when he moved into senior management in the mid-1980s the company went from strength to strength, which eventually led to Tony acquiring the ownership of the company, in partnership with long-term business partner Bryan Godwyn.

Tony was very much a ‘disrupter’ in the printing machinery market and simply loved the challenge of bringing into the market many new product ranges, new innovations and working to establish a foothold for those brands, often against the fiercest competition from established brands. The most successful of these introductions being Horizon. Tony secured the agency for Horizon Print Finishing products in 1981 and established their products as UK market leaders.

I first met Tony in 1980 when I joined GAE as a young salesman. Tony was great mentor, he taught me so much about the business, all of which served me well over the decades in several successful business ventures. Tony was great at spotting talent and so many current and former colleagues enjoyed their time in successful careers working under Tony’s direction.

During his career with IFS/GAE Tony built up a massive network of relationships with suppliers, manufacturers and customers and became one of the best known ‘characters’ in the commercial print sector and machinery supply side, in particular. Tony was an active leading light in Picon and had a long association with the BPIF. Tony was an acclaimed golfer, a former non-league footballer and a passionate follower of Tottenham Hotspur.

Tony’s life-long contribution to the printing industry was recognised in 2012 when he was awarded the title of Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspapermakers.

Tony will be missed very much by his family, friends, associates, former colleagues and everyone that knew him.

R I P  Tony Hards

Mr Hards was also well-known to many current and former directors and staff at Whitmar Publications.

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The agreement will see Ricoh add Albyco’s workforce to its business, complementing existing expertise and capabilities. Albyco’s managing director Jos van Uum will remain in his current role. Albyco customers may expect continued support and an expanded range of solutions as Ricoh integrates Albyco’s capabilities into its portfolio.

Eef de Ridder, vice president graphic communications group, commented, ‘We are seeing growing demand for top-tier finishing capabilities in wide-format and inkjet/toner printing at a commercial scale, and rising interest from clients seeking end-to-end integrated solutions. Albyco’s strong reputation and proven track record in the graphic communications business makes it an excellent addition to the Ricoh family, further strengthening our collective capabilities.’

Jos van Uum, managing director at Albyco, added, ‘We are delighted to join forces with Ricoh and contribute our expertise to a company with a rich tradition of technological advancements and customer-centric solutions. This collaboration presents a tremendous opportunity to leverage synergies, drive innovation and deliver even greater value to our customers. I am pleased that we found in Ricoh the best possible home to support our customers and talented teams in the next phase of their journey.’

Founded in 1994, Albyco has expanded its offering to include its own brand of supplies and machines, including binding, laminating and signage-related equipment. It has a strong presence in the Dutch market for print finishing products, and exports print finishing solutions, machines, and consumables to customers in France, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden. Additionally, it  is the exclusive importer of brands Duplo and GMP for the Netherlands.

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The joint statement from the companies says, ‘Hunkeler and Müller Martini have been very close for many years. The long and successful history began during the Second World War, when Hans Müller worked for Hunkeler as a mechanical engineer before setting up his own business in 1946 and founding the company Hans Müller / Grapha. These good relations have been maintained for decades. The local proximity in the Zofingen region and the already existing and successful partnership in the machine and component business form an ideal starting point for even closer cooperation in the future.

‘By joining forces, both companies see great opportunities to bundle their innovation activities and to serve their global customer base even better in the future through joint sales and service activities. The two owner families have therefore decided on this strategic transaction that led to the acquisition of Hunkeler AG by Müller Martini AG.’

Bruno Müller is quoted as saying, ‘The graphic arts industry is constantly changing and regularly calls for new innovations. By combining the key components of the two companies, such as personnel, expertise and technology, we will be able to serve our global clientele even better with innovative solutions in the future.’

The following is attributed to Stefan and Michel Hunkeler: ‘There is a long-standing partnership between Hunkeler and Müller Martini and a regular exchange. The opportunity for the merger is currently greatly beneficial for both partners and our joint customers, as it will result in considerable advantages in a combined enterprise. This is also a strong commitment for the Zofingen region.’

It is not clear what the implications will be for the companies’ separate operations across Europe and beyond, or their relationships with distributors and customers in countries where there are no direct subsidiaries; Hunkeler is distributed in the UK by Friedheim International, for example, while Müller Martini has its own UK operation. The future of the popular and well-attended Hunkeler Innovationdays event, which focuses on high-end inkjet printing systems and was last held in February/March 2023, and not due to recur until early 2025, is also unknown at this point.

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