Kettering, UK. 22nd February 2018. i-Sub has announced that Leicester-based print company, Digital Wordcrafts, has purchased an Agfa Anapurna H3200i LED UV printer and a Zünd G3 XL3200 digital flatbed cutter. The Agfa is replacing Digital Wordcrafts’ VUTEk printers and the Zünd G3 is replacing two smaller Zünd machines.
Digital Wordcrafts was founded in 1988 and provides a complete range of printing and signage solutions to companies across the UK. They specialise in building long-term relationships with customers that encompass all their printing and display requirements. Managing Director, Adrian Bingley, says: “As an example, one of our major customers is health food retail chain, Holland & Barrett. We provide all the internal graphics for their stores throughout the country as well as their external fascias and illuminated and projected signage. Our business is full service printing and display, with both large and small format services available.”
The relationship between i-Sub and Digital Wordcrafts goes back more than 15 years. “For many years i-Sub has provided all our large format Mimaki solvent machines and we have always been very happy with their service and support,” says Bingley. “We began with a 1.3m Mimaki and as demand grew, so did the width of our printers and ultimately we ended up with a 2.6m Mimaki JV34 and a 3.2m JV5. Now we have two 1.6m and one 1.3m Mimaki JV150 machines, all of which are serving us very well. The Agfa Anapurna has primarily been purchased to replace our VUTEk machine and at 3.2m wide, this satisfies all our print requirements.”
The Agfa Anapurna H3200i LEDUV is a belt-driven hybrid machine that can handle all types of rigid sheet materials up to 3.2m wide, and with the ability to print a 10’ x 5’ (3000mm x 1500mm) sheets landscape, productivity is impressive. Roll media is available up to 3.2m wide, both in a single-roll and a dual-roll configuration. Thanks to the LED UV curing it supports the widest media mix in the market at all print quality levels. The printer offers both high throughput and high print quality and has white inks as standard thus increasing the range of possible applications.
Adrian Bingley continues: “While we were very happy with the VUTEk machine, we wanted to go to a 3.2m machine that could offer inline white. There was a VUTEk model that could also tick the boxes, but the Agfa Anapurna represented incredibly good value coupled with very high quality. We compared the products, and particularly on the white ink, what we saw from the Agfa was as good if not better than the more expensive VUTEk machine.”
The Agfa Anapurna is now installed at Digital Wordcrafts and is running for 15 hours a day, every day. “The productivity and speed of the Agfa is around double compared to our previous machines and it is perfect for where our business is today. It has opened new opportunities for us and has allowed us to take on bigger and more profitable projects. For example, one customer asked us for 400 metres of poster paper to be turned around within 26 hours. We took it and ran it in addition to our already busy schedule and delivered on time, which is something we couldn’t have done before,” he adds.
In addition to the new 3.2m printer, i-Sub has provided Digital Wordcrafts with the latest 3.2m Zünd G3 digital flatbed cutter. Bingley explains: “We have used Zünd cutters for many years and were very keen to keep this relationship going. We needed a wider, faster and more versatile machine and i-Sub did a great job arranging a fantastic deal that allowed us to part exchange our two previous Zünd P/N model cutters. The new machine has a conveyor belt system that allows us to add a roll on one end that moves through the cutter and delivers a seamless workflow. The time savings this delivers has had a massive impact on our overall productivity.”
He continues, “Our new machines have allowed us to get through more work more quickly because we have a much more efficient and productive workflow. They also offer much higher quality than we could previously offer. The inline white in particular offers a very dense, bright white that our customers really love. In addition, the unit cost per print is lower thanks to the reduced costs of Agfa ink, which allows us to be more competitive and has improved our margins and profitability.”
i-Sub Sales Director Emma Plant says: “We have worked very closely with Digital Wordcrafts for many years now and our relationship has been based on an open structure with i-Sub always discussing their needs and proposing solutions that are best for their requirements. We knew very quickly that the Agfa H3200i was the best machine for their needs and the Zünd G3 was a definite for them as their previous Zünd tables had given such great service and productivity. It is always good to hear that our solutions are returning better quality, productivity and increased profits, exactly the solution we were asked to provide. Wordcrafts are always a pleasure to work with and we look forward to our relationship continuing for many years to come.”
Adrian Bingley concludes: “As well as being able to take on more projects, we are able to offer a more complete service with better quality and a broader range of materials and styles. This is vital to the long-term growth and success of our company. We are exceedingly happy with our new machines and the superb support and service we have received from i-Sub.”
