SM Finishing brings personalisation in-house with Videojet investment

HUNTINGDON, U.K. - May 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Managing director Gary Benner explains: "We are now able to produce a large, million-plus, two-page, monthly mailing for a high-street retailer. It includes the name and address with a sequential number. We can also add a barcode.” Another job involves printing codes onto leaflets for the online registration of computer games. “This is work that we could not have produced in-house prior to acquiring our Videojet BX6500,” he adds.

Meeting customer expectations

Benner swapped his role as finishing manager at Howitt to become co-owner of the Nottingham trade finishing house with Lee Skinner and Tony Palethorpe in 2004. Collectively, the owners have over 70 years of experience in the print finishing industry and never take on a job if they can’t meet customer expectations. The company prides itself on its professional, project-managed approach, and it is this quality that has helped to establish SM Finishing as a leader in the industry.

Benner comments:  “We offer an overflow service, but we also do a lot of complex work that printers cannot undertake. This is enabled by our highly skilled staff and unique production capabilities."

These capabilities now include the Videojet BX6500 which was chosen to bring personalised printing in-house for the inkjet application of data onto mailers,  In the past, this type of work was sent to SM Finishing only to be finished. Now, with the personalisation capability in-house, high volume saddle stitching, high speed tipping on and attaching, production of one piece mailers, and inline inkjet personalisation and coding can all be accomplished under one roof, saving customers time and money.

Single Supplier

Benner comments: “As clients increasingly want their work to be completed by a single supplier, we believed an investment in the Videojet BX6500 would enable us to become that single source by personalising mailers as well as finishing them.”

With the option of one or two printheads, the http://www.videojet.eu/uk/bx6000-series.html, which includes the BX6500, has a top speed of 600m/min and a maximum resolution of 128x256dpi. The maximum print height is 51mm and the fast-drying ink is MEK-based, ensuring its suitability for printing on virtually any substrate with no need for subsequent drying. It also offers the option of printing in two colours. In addition, the simple installation and operation of the BX6000 series is aided by a user-friendly interface.

Videojet’s BX6500 is used to personalise and code mailers, products and promotional work for SM Finishing’s customers, who range from large and small firms to industrial printers and mailers, and mailing solutions providers.

Benner says that increased targeting and personalisation of mailers and other print work has meant run lengths have come down from the millions into the hundreds of thousands or even the tens of thousands, adding, ”The Videojet is more than capable of coping with a wide variety of work and producing these shorter run lengths profitably.”

Benner reports that options from both other vendors were considered but the results from the BX6500 were superior to anything else he found in the marketplace, adding, "Videojet is a good company, its product quality is great, and the whole package was exactly right for us.”

Following installation and three days of training for three operators, the Videojet BX6500 began immediately producing billable jobs. “What additional help we needed was easily available via phone support” Benner says.

Flexibility freedom

To maximise performance and flexibility, SM Finishing is able to move the BX6500 to wherever it is needed in the business, such as the back of the stitcher or on the folder. Videojet’s Crescendo Controller runs the system via a simple-to-navigate operator interface with pass code sign-in levels to ensure appropriate access by authorized users. The interface can also easily plan jobs when data is supplied and loaded into the machine.

Benner adds that the Videojet BX6500 is more than capable of meeting SM Finishing’s speed requirements, and in addition to making the company become a one-stop shop fulfilling more client requirements, it has contributed to increased client loyalty and added new revenue streams. "We want to continue to provide a top-quality on-time service to our clients,” he says. “The BX6500 has been a fantastic addition that is helping us to achieve those goals."

He concludes: “I highly recommend the Videojet BX6500. It is totally reliable and just runs and runs. The support from Videojet is brilliant, and the aftersales department is superb. If we ever have a problem, the phone support system from the UK service desk is fast and efficient. What more could you ask for?”

About Videojet Technologies
Videojet is a world-leading manufacturer of industrial ink jet systems, fluids, and accessories for the product identification industry. Its solutions enable the application of high-quality alphanumeric codes, logos and graphics on a wide range of surfaces at virtually any line speed, angle, or location on a product or package. Products include large and small character industrial ink jet printers, thermal transfer printers, laser coding systems, label printers and print and apply systems, ink jet inks, supplies and accessories. As an expert in continuous ink jet (CIJ), drop-on-demand (DOD), thermal transfer overprinting (TTO), array, and laser technologies, Videojet has over 325,000 units installed worldwide. Videojet is a leader in the coding and marking industry for both ink jet coders and laser coding systems. It has the industry’s largest and most-qualified factory-certified service and support team, with over 215 direct service professionals in the US alone.

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