Over the past three months, sales manager Rob Henderson has led the project to adapt the company’s Xeikon 5000 reel-fed digital press to better utilise the machine's available capacity and support mailing houses with the new service.

The York-based business has developed a re-reeling unit for the press, providing a way to supply ready-to-use smaller reels for short-run digitally printed reels for paper wrapping runs from 1,000 items, which can include multiple versions.

According to Henderson, for shorter-run wrapping requirements mailing companies would typically pay a premium for each job to procure customised litho-printed wrapping reels, which are more suited to runs of around 20,000-30,000, or be forced to invest or invest in their own reel-fed digital press.

Wood Richardson’s modifications are currently in the final testing stage with Birmingham’s Central Mailing Services, which is in the process of commissioning a CMC One paper wrapping line.

Henderson said: “The Xeikon is a fantastic digital press, and currently has more capacity, adapting it to fit this niche in the market just made sense.

“Paper wrapping is gaining momentum and we hope this ‘green’ innovation will help smaller mailings become more environmentally sustainable.”

Wood Richardson anticipates the machine will garner significant interest once it fully enters the market, given current interest in paper wrapping.