KMS Litho has brought lamination inhouse with a B2+ Foliant Mercury 530SF laminator with Foliant Multi-functional Inprinting Unit, from Intelligent Finishing Systems

The Banbury general commercial printer produces a wide range of print including flyers, leaflets, folders, brochures, invitations, menus, business cards, letterheads and catalogues.

Owner Mark Willis explains: “We were sending all our lamination out but then we decided to dip our toe in the water with a small system. We also took on a new member of staff and they really embraced the lamination process. So, we chose to bring it in house but knew if we were going to do that we would have to do it properly.

The operation runs Heidelberg B2 and B3 presses and a Linoprint digital press. In fact, one of the reasons Willis chose the 25mpm B2+ Mercury 530SF heavy-duty industrial laminating system, was its Heidelberg connection

He explains: “We looked at other systems, but the fact feeder heads were from Heidelberg was a big plus. We were also very impressed with IFS as an organisation and the knowledgeability of the team. The final convincer was the foiling system.

The Foliant Multi-functional Inprinting Unit makes foiling and spot varnish fast and affordable for short run and personalised print. It runs a wide range of colours including gold, silver, red and green and a clear gloss for spot varnish. It suits a broad range of end uses from corporate stationery to POS and book covers

Willis says: “Foiling will allow us to offer a new value-added service. It is something we are still exploring. I think it will have a place in short run digital work such as invitations and we are looking forward to developing that.”

As for return on investment he says: “ROI wasn’t important it was more about bringing the process inhouse. We wanted a system that could handle anything we threw at it so we could be confident with what we were producing. But it will pay for itself in 18 to 24 months.

And on the impact so far he states: “We have run a number of live jobs and they have all been perfect so far. The training was very good and left no stone unturned. The team is confident to use it.”