TJ International bolsters move back to large-format with second MBO folder

TJ International has completed its move back into large-format printing with a second folding machine from MBO.

The Padstow-based company, which moved from large-format to B1 several years ago, announced its intention to move back into larger size printing with a £3.5m investment at the end of 2006.

Its new presses are now in place and the company has added an MBO T1120/4442 large-format buckle folding machine, working alongside a Palamides Alpha 700S automatic stacker to complement the investment.

The company is now able to process up to 12,000 sections per hour.

Steve Opie, operations director at TJ International, told PrintWeek: "We originally moved into B1 because it was more than twice as fast as large-format.

"But the efficiency of the folding equipment has improved so much and we realised we could work twice as fast on very large-format machines. With the new MBO we can run two 32 pages instead of one."

Opie added that although the finishing spend counted for a small part of the overall VLF spend, it was a "significant investment".

TJ International is expecting to record a turnover of £11m this year and employs around 150 staff.