Based in Washington, north-east England, Simpson Group confirmed at FESPA 2018 that they would become the latest company to invest in Inca Digital’s ultra-high productivity Onset X3 with full automation, supplied by Fujifilm. Commercial Director Mark Jerrard and Production Director David Dowson, were at FESPA in Berlin in May to shake hands on the deal.

Simpson Group’s 100 staff use a full range of screen, digital and litho kit to create vibrant and striking point of purchase and point of sale displays for a range of high-profile customers, covering market sectors as diverse as travel and leisure, food and drinks, and fashion and financial services.

Looking for more automation, and to replace an existing digital press that was nearing the end of its serviceable life, Jerrard and Dowson compared products from a huge range of manufacturers. “Ultimately it came down to speed and quality says Jerrard: “As the lease on our old machine was coming to an end, we started shopping around. We took a look at what our current supplier and several others had to offer, but we were attracted to the Onset X3 because of the quality of its print and the speed with which it can deliver that quality. Two-and-a-half to three times faster than the machine it is replacing.

“The automation was also a key factor,” Jerrard continues. “We’ve opted for a new robotic arm system, because increasingly everything we invest in is targeted at improving our levels of automation and help us become more efficient.”

Thanks to the improved levels of automation, Simpson Group staff, who were previously tied to the old machine to ensure continuous production, can now be moved to support operations in other parts of the digital business.

“We expect the improved quality and greater speed to market to give us a huge overall boost with our customers,” says Jerrard.

Not ever having been a Fujifilm customer before, Jerrard has been impressed with the sales process so far: “Fujifilm has been efficient and very helpful throughout the sales process so far. We look forward to the installation of our new machine this summer, and to working with Fujifilm to develop and grow our successful business still further.”