New web offset press with inkjet capability will complement existing sheetfed print operation- Productivity to improve dramatically with new inline facility
- Web system will deliver transformative capabilities for servicing retail clients
The Manchester, UK, based commercial printer, data management and print fulfillment specialist G&H has chosen to invest in a new Goss M-600 web press with integrated inkjet capability to transform productivity at its Trafford Park facility. Set for installation in September, the new press is expected to improve productivity by as much as 85 percent on a variety of specialized print jobs currently produced on sheetfed presses.
Kodak inkjet heads will be mounted inline, after the dryer to provide zoning and personalization capabilities. Initially the proposal was for black-only inkjet capability but after discussions with several customers and visiting sites in the US to gauge the interest, G&H have decided to add four-color inkjet capability from the start.
According to Dave Hatton, managing director of G&H, the investment is part of the company's strategy of introducing new efficiencies into the marketing mix: "We manage entire marketing campaigns for many of our clients, so the more we can successfully integrate and streamline processes, the greater the advantage to everyone."
G&H has a variety of contracts that involve regular repeat printing in high volumes, with personalization and distribution to targeted areas. These are currently printed sheetfed, with several processes involved to achieve the finished product ready for the various modes of distribution. "Once the M-600 press system is up and running, the new inline operation will deliver a much more streamlined, more efficient workflow, allowing us to maximize press uptime and better utilize our sheetfed capabilities," confirms Hatton.
To help G&H in deciding on the full equipment specification and configuration, Goss sales director John Chambers took Hatton and colleagues on a tour of installations in the US where they could see for themselves the power of similar hybrid Goss web press systems. "Although this will be the first such Goss press line in the UK, we are already past masters of setting up this kind of operation in the US where many web printers have vast distribution areas requiring different treatments," Chambers explains. "The trip helped confirm that this is the right solution for enabling G&H to offer customers real benefits from a truly game-changing capability."
G&H has a proud history of innovation and diversification built around the core philosophy of "superior service and quality for clients at the heart of everything we do". Comprising seven divisions, the company provides a complete marketing delivery service across print both Sheetfed and Digital, Personalization, Distribution and Logistics, Digital Asset and Data Management, as well as Customer Order Management and Web-to-Print fulfillment.
