The lion's share of the spend was for a second Avinci DX3200 dye-sub and an Anapurna M3200i roll-to-roll printer.
Having been the first UK firm to take on a DX3200 in April last year, Leeds-based Northern Flags decided early that it would take on a twin machine to further increase its fabric printing capacity following the relocation to its new base in Millshaw, Leeds, in January.
Northern Flags has taken on a second Avinci DX3200 dye-sub and an Anapurna M3200i roll-to-roll printer, in a £500,000 investment from Agfa Graphics, as its parent company FaberExposize increases its UK presence.
As a subsidiary of Dutch exhibition and POS print group FaberExposize since being bought out in 2011, Northern Flags' branding had led to roadblocks in its parent’s attempts to move into non-flag markets in the UK.
Northern Flags and its sister company, FaberExposize UK, now operate out of the same two-unit site. FaberExposize UK will make use of the Anapurna M3200i to contribute to its events and display focus. Both Agfas arrived on the same day at the end of May.
UK managing director Iain Clasper-Cotte said: “Our focus on Agfa is different than at other bases across FaberExposize’s European presence which tends to lean heavily on Durst machines instead. However, we feel Agfa is a better fit for both brands in Leeds.
“Having two Avincis now allows us to properly explore a variety of specialised fabrics and increase our expertise in a variety of substrates while maintaining a consistency of print.
“Northern Flags remains one of the UK’s most popular brands for outdoor and flag work, but it was not proving to be ideal for those conversations around exhibition work that we were hoping to have which is why we are bridging the brands.”
Agfa’s 3.2m-wide Avinci enables users to create large-format soft signage prints at 1,440x540dpi, featuring a six-colour gamut of CMYK plus light cyan and light magenta. It prints at speeds up to 173sqm/hr for flag work and has a 60sqm/hr high-quality mode.
The Anapurna M3200i RTR is a 3.2m-wide UV inkjet printer designed for indoor and outdoor applications at speeds up to 123sqm/hr.
Northern Flags’ and FaberExposize’s investment also includes a clutch of finishing equipment that the company will unveil in due course, according to Clasper-Cotte.
FaberExposize’s presence across Europe comprises a nine-factory operation which Clasper-Cotte said will give the group and Northern Flags a “cross-border” advantage for production and delivery as Brexit approaches.
Its Leeds base spans two warehouse units covering approximately 1,394sqm and employs 30 members of staff who are cross-discipline trained for flexibility on the company’s output.
