The installation of two Acuity machines has shifted over 30% of QPS’s business from screen to digital and helped it cut costs.
Founded in Stoke-on-Trent 27 years ago, QPS first embraced digital print in 2002 when it entered the wide format arena with a couple of roll-to-roll solvent-based printers, joined in 2008 by its first UV flatbed machine, Fujifilm’s Acuity HD 2504. It bought a second digital flatbed printer, an Acuity Advance HS in 2010.
QPS directors Stuart James Copeland and Russell Fairweather said: “Following the introduction of the first digital roll-fed devices, we were printing on flexible materials, which were then laminated and mounted onto rigid substrates. However, increasing requests for print-on-demand and the need to cut down costs for vinyls and other materials persuaded us to consider investing in a flatbed printer to print directly onto rigid media. Fujifilm’s Acuity turned out to be the perfect device to deliver cost-effective and high quality jobs in the most efficient way.
“The introduction of the Acuity HS has been pivotal to our success. Not only can we now manage higher volumes and guarantee photographic like quality, but we can also save on running costs and provide customers with more competitive prices.
“The extended series of substrates we can print on, including corrugated and fluted board, Dibond and Foamex, together with acrylic, glass and much more, make this printer a valuable addition to our production environment. What’s more, the inks guarantee strong adhesion, vibrant colours and a more competitive cost per square metre, while the white ink is a great addition to help print onto clear materials.”
Thanks to the installation, QPS has been exploring markets such as interior decoration and packaging.
“Today at QPS, out of 17 employees, five operators work on our digital equipment while four look after the screen printing machines. Since the integration of digital print within the work environment ten years ago, the company has moved approximately 70% of its business to this technology.“
“Wide-format print has helped us to be profitable, and the purchase of flatbed technologies has given us an additional push. With the roll-to-roll machines we were able to reach up to 80m2/hr per day, now we can easily achieve 350m2/hr. In addition, our turnover in 2012 will be over £1 million and it’s fair to say that, if we hadn’t invested into the Fujifilm Acuity devices, this figure would have been considerably less.”