The new press is an eight-colour machine with a downstream coating unit. Its the fifth flexo press at the company's Scunthorpe site and takes up the last floorspace Skymark had available for machinery.

The press was delivered in August and has enabled the flexible packaging manufacturer to offer a number of coating- and laminate-related effects to its clients that could not be achieved previously.

Operations director Paul Neath said: “We wanted a press with additional features to what we already had and, once we narrowed down our options to three manufactures, it was Allstein that offered us the best fit and technical advantage for our available space – as room in our print hall was limited. 

“It allows us to print better quality more consistently, as well as being more productive, allowing for 100% quality control inspection and being fully recordable.”

German manufacturer Allstein built the machine for Skymark with hydrostatic bearings to prevent print bounce. The press is being used to print flexible packaging for a number of sectors including food and drink, hygiene and medical, household, and personal care.

With its floorspace used up, Skymark will now look to the land it owns nearby for potential expansion in order to be able to expand its production capabilities in the future.

Neath said: “We have an outline plan for expanded premises that is not finalised yet and have applied for planning permission. From there, it would take about a year to construct and another year to order and have built any new equipment, so it would take time to complete.”

On its Scunthorpe site, Skymark operates two laminators, five folding machines, a Universal X6lp laser slitter and a number of CPP and PE extrusion lines alongside its five flexo presses. Its secondary Ilkeston base runs bag making machines and extruders.

With 250 staff, 160 of which are based at Scunthorpe, the firm currently has a turnover of £35m.