How image factory has invested its way into new markets.
For more than 50 years, Image Factory has worked hard to offer its customers the latest services and cutting edge applications and, as you might expect, that’s meant significant investment in digital print kit. “In 2007, we made our first investment in digital printing technologies, so that we could offer a wider range of printing services,” says Tim Boore, head of digital technologies. “Throughout its many years in business, the company had earned a reputation for high-quality print and exceptional customer service. So when the time came to purchase a digital alternative to screen printing technology, it was vital that any investment reflected this.”
It was also important that the investment extended Image Factory’s reach, an ongoing strategy. For instance, it introduced a fast turnaround point-of-purchase/ point-of-sale service on the back of the HP Scitex FB7500 it brought into the business in the first half of 2011, a machine which has since been upgraded to the FB7600 version introduced last October. “Surprisingly, the recent economic circumstances have accelerated the growth of the POP and POS market,” says Boore. “Our customers are marketing themselves more heavily than before and consequently are producing more advertising and promotional items, which in today’s fiercely competitive markets need to reach their shop floors quickly. Speed is key for us and the FB7500 could print at rates that allowed us to meet even the tightest deadlines.”
In addition, Image Factory’s FB7500 could print an impressive range of media including foamboard, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, paper and corrugated polypropylene up to 25mm (0.98in) thick, making it more than suitable for the production of POP and POS items.
“With the FB7500, there were very few limitations concerning media choice and we used this versatility to expand our product portfolio by printing on a wider range of material,” adds Boore.
From the installation of the FB7500, Image Factory used its combination of high-speed production and versatility to meet customers’ trying demands. “With our FB7500 we took on extra, last minute jobs that we would previously have struggled to do,” adds Boore, pointing to a job that required the production of 650 freestanding display units for a major snack food manufacturer. The job was already printed and being finished when the customer requested another 50 units.
“Reprinting the job on the screen line would have meant remaking the stencils and starting the whole job from scratch, which would have been time consuming and costly,” explains Boore. “We decided to be completely honest with our customer and to offer them a solution. We suggested that we run the 50 units through the FB7500 and apply a gloss finish, which would save time.
“We did this on the FB7500 in about one-hour, in one pass and without any preparation or need to calibrate themachine. The customer was gobsmacked at the result, as we achieved a near 100% match. Indeed putting the HP printed example against the screen printed one, it was impossible to tell them apart.”
Image Factory completed the job, including the 50 extra units and met the original deadline. “Without the flexibility of the FB7500 our entire workflow would have been disrupted for the sake of 50 extra units, which although resulting in a relatively small financial cost, would have cost us dearly in terms of late projects and other disgruntled customers. You can’t put a price on that.”
So why the decision to risk what was obviously working well to beta test a machine upgrade that might prove detrimental? “We were very happy with the FB7500 and were initially reluctant to potentially disrupt production so soon after its installation, incur downtime and sort out beta bugs,” admits Boore. “However, we were promised higher speeds with the same quality print and less downtime. To be fair to HP, the upgrade was release-ready when we began testing it and it presented no more issues than any newly installed printer.” The HP Scitex FB7600 (and its Upgrade Kit option) have a range of features that Image Factory immediately benefitted from.
“The new features are more than just tweaks and new versions of the same thing,” Boore explains. “From the front end, the software is faster and more user friendly, and the hotfolders enable greater control over jobs. Next, the ink is configured to flow much better through the printheads.” Another new feature with the upgrade is the POP55 mode which enables 55 beds per hour to be printed at POP quality. The HP FB7500’s maximum POP quality speed was 48 beds per hour (and it had a production high-speed mode of 70 beds per hour).
“There are jobs that - because of the colours and the proximity at which they would be viewed - meant that we’d decided to print in POP48 mode rather than POP70,” Boore says. “With the new POP55 mode, we have the benefit of the higher speed, but without out loss of quality.” Image Factory has also found its backlit printing enhanced by the new Saturation Control feature.
“In the past when we wanted to do a double strike on a backlit display, the operation would slow the printer down and that could potentially disrupt the schedule. With the saturation feature, the press simply deposits more ink without loss of speed, so we can maintain the 55 beds per hour speed.” Improved material usage and waste reduction is as important to Image Factory as to any print business and the company has found it has benefitted in this area from the edge-to-edge printing feature of the HP Scitex FB7500 Industrial Press Upgrade.
“This is a fantastic feature!” enthuses Boore. “Without the need for a margin of white space, we have found that we achieve savings at several stages. First, we can order the finished-sized sheets, so there’s no trimming. Secondly, because there is no trimming, there’s no opportunity for damage to graphics through additional handling. Thirdly, it’s possible to impose multiple graphics on a single sheet and make simpler cuts to separate them. It’s a feature that works very well and speeds up throughput.”
The HP Scitex FB7600 and the FB7500 Industrial Press Upgrade use new HP FB225 Scitex Inks which have improved adhesion so that more substrates can be printed. In addition to the standard POP/POS corrugated board substrates and backlit papers and plastics, HP FB225 Scitex Ink can print onto plastic and coated materials including PVC, Styrene, PP, PC, PE, PETG, Yupo and Alu-Dibond. HP FB225 Ink also has more flexibility after curing than its predecessors, so the chances of chipping and cracking during folding and creasing are greatly reduced if not altogether eliminated.
“It’s another productivity bonus,” says Boore. “If we don’t have to do remakes, it’s a saving all around.” He also points to the value of the HP Scitex Print Care programme which comprises trouble-shooting tools, maintenance wizards and inline automatic printhead calibration. With remote diagnostics and support with live video links to inspect areas of the press, many problems can be resolved without an engineer’s visit. “In the event of problems, having an engineer giving remote instructions and going through the process step-by-step, trouble-shooting and repairs are greatly simplified,” Boore says. “Even I could make it work!”
GETTING HERE
Image Factory, previously known as Western Screen and Sign, was established in 1962 as a traditional screen printer. Originally based in Bath, Somerset, the company specialised in producing signage for local businesses. In 1990 it was acquired by the Quarto Group and in the mid-90s was renamed Image Factory. In 2003, the company moved to its current premises in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK. Today, Image Factory occupies a state-of-the-art 5,575m2 facility, employing 65 members of staff.