The deal for the machine was signed at the beginning of May and it will be installed at the end of July. Around the same time, Micropress also signed for a fully automated Heidelberg B2 Stahlfolder, also expected to be installed in July or August.
The Primera MC comes with cover feeder, four flat-pile feeders, two vertical-pile feeders and a Perfetto compensating stacker. It replaces an eight-year-old Muller Martini Prima Amrys.
Micropress production director James Cross said it has now been buying from Muller for “nigh on 20 years”.
Cross said: “It’s probably the automation of it really, I’ve had them in the past and they were always very durable. We’re pretty automated so it’s cut down makeready times basically.
“They’ve changed the trimmer over so you don’t get any marking, the blade quality and the feeders are very good, plus the automation really is the reason for our purchase."
Southwold-based Micropress mainly produces a wide variety of general commercial print items and a number of varied-run niche magazines.
It runs three Heidelberg Speedmasters: an eight-colour XL 105, a five-colour XL 105 and a five-colour XL 75. It also has a B1 and B2 Polar guillotine, an Alegro perfect binder and a Heidelberg stitching line ST 450.
Micropress also produces digital work, which accounts for around 5% of turnover. In May 2015, it spent more than £4m on new kit.
Employing around 130 staff in its 4,600sqm-premises, turnover is currently at £15m. Cross said it has been rising by about 10% a year and he expects that to remain the same for the end of 2016.
