ABC Print boosts bindery with Baumann investment

ABC Print has followed up the recent purchase of the UK's first Ryobi 924 SRA1 press with LED-UV drying with a host of finishing kit investments at its base in Hereford.

The company installed a Baumann BSB 3 L automatic jogger and BSH 3-650 pile hoist to work alongside its Baumann-Wohlenberg high-speed cutter. The kit was supplied by UK agent Friedheim International.

The finishing kit, which cost around £50,000, followed the installation earlier this year of the Ryobi with LED UV ink technology. The press cost under £700,000.

Director Garrett McGibney said: “We took a big leap in offering SRA1 capabilities in addition to our normal SRA3 and a consequence of this has been that more cutting of sheets is required.

“We soon realised that to help our operators and speed up the process to ensure no bottlenecks we needed additional handling equipment to support the guillotine.

“Going to SRA1 meant the sheets were too big, but the new finishing kit is great: sheets simply roll off nice and flat, so you don't have to handle them, before they go smoothly to the next process.”

ABC Print has been in business for 15 years and its 28 full-time staff are involved in short- to medium-run printing and finishing for jobs such as 5,000 booklets.

McGibney said: “The ability to offer SRA1 has opened new and different markets for us and we’ve also noticed a significant increase in the amount of PUR work coming our way. 

“The increase in size of sheets we can now handle reduces costs, but none of that would be possible without the ability to meet deadlines. This is where the new Baumann jogger and pile hoist are proving their worth.”