Digital Print Products, a division of Flexo Trade Print, has replaced key items of kit following a fire on the 29 July that destroyed its entire line-up of digital printing machinery. The company has now installed two 64in Roland roll-fed print-and-cut machines, a TruVis LG640 LED-UV and a TruVis VG3 640 solvent printer, sourced through SOS.

General manager Andy Wilcox said: “The fire started in an adjacent unit at around 11pm and it took until 3.30am the following morning to put out. There were at least two explosions, and when I arrived I advised the firemen to keep the flames away from areas where flammable materials were stored, which prevented something even worse.” It took 65 fire fighters using 11 fire engines and a drone to put the fire out.

The company’s main business, since its formation in 2002, is in flexo platemaking for the trade, and this remained virtually intact and able to function after a few days. But the digital print department was totally destroyed, mainly by heat and smoke.

“We had a Roland LEC2-640 UV machine and VSI-640 eco-solvent which were write-offs,” said Wilcox. “SOS were very quick to offer replacements, and the installations and training were done ahead of schedule so our digital printing recommenced within three weeks of the fire.”

The Roland machines are like-for-like replacements, with some key differences. “The latest Rolands have some new features. They have different printheads and they generally run faster, and we especially like the high-capacity ink cartridges, which are three times the size of the old ones, allowing for longer running times without intervention,” said Wilcox.  “An excellent innovation is the automatic cleaning cartridges which constantly keep the heads clean, and reduce maintenance. Overall, the output quality is as good as ever.”

The digital print department has been running since 2012, taking orders from trade customers and increasingly from end-users who find the company through a dedicated website. The division continues to grow to the point where it now accounts for 20% of turnover.

Flexo Trade Print/Digital Print Products has a turnover which grew by a fifth last year to well past the £500,000 mark. It has nine staff and operates from premises in Willenhall, West Midlands.