Central Mailing Services invests £150k in new kit

Central Mailing Services has invested around £150,000 in a raft of new equipment and software.

The Kings Norton, Birmingham-based company has bought a second Xerox Versant 80 full-colour digital press and a Xerox D110 monochrome digital press, both with Fiery DFE, a Morgana DocuMaster Pro and an AMS tabbing machine.

The Xerox presses, which will boost the firm’s capacity, were both bought from Stafford-based supplier Zerographic Systems. The Versant 80 was installed around six weeks ago while the D110 went in around three weeks ago.

The Morgana machine was installed two weeks ago and the AMS device went in around two months ago.

The Versant 80 has replaced a Konica Minolta bizhub Press C6000 while the D110 is additional to the firm’s plant list and joins an existing Nuvera 144 monochrome device.

“The quality of the Versant 80 is litho-like but because of the Fiery performance pack it processes in seconds rather than hours,” said Central Mailing Services managing director Mitesh Chouhan.

The Morgana bookletmaker has enabled the firm to bring previously outsourced work in-house.

“We were outsourcing digital print, when a client wanted a magazine, brochure or booklet made, because we weren’t happy with the quality of the standard bookletmaker that comes on the end of a digital press,” said Chouhan.

“We were looking for a bookletmaker that was automated, so that we wouldn’t have to manually feed, and one that could crease as well as fold at the same time, trim, perf and also square-back.

“That was a lot to ask from one piece of kit and Morgana were the only company that had that available in the DocuMaster Pro.”

The business is also commissioning the design of a new bespoke operating system, created using an SQL platform.

It features an advanced stock management system that will enable the firm to accurately manage the 500 pallets stored across its two sites. The system will be implemented next month.

Central Mailing Services, which serves clients in the performing arts sector, universities, B2B customers and small businesses, has 60 staff and a turnover of £6.5m.

Last year the company invested £500,000 in a range of machinery and a 465sqm second unit a few doors away from its main 1,580sqm premises. Both of its buildings are leased.