The specialist acrylic fabricator has installed a Dlican DLI-2513 UV flatbed printer and a Kartech KT1625 cutting table from China Print Supplies
CDM Plastics has brought its printed point of sale work in-house for the first time, installing a Dlican DLI-2513 UV flatbed printer and a Kartech KT1625 digital cutting table from China Print Supplies (CPS). The Redditch-based acrylic fabricator produces displays, signage and graphics for major UK retail brands, and until this year outsourced most of its printing work to subcontractors. Running both processes in-house gives the business control of its deadlines and keeps the print margin inside the company.
Carl Way, Production Director at CDM Plastics, says, “We had a smaller printer which we used for roll work and prototyping, and then we subcontracted everything else. We were subbing out so much that it was getting harder to manage workflows effectively. Thanks to the new machines from CPS, we have taken control of the process, as well as benefiting from additional margin.”
Careful selection
The search for a new in-house production solution led to a shortlist of two machines, including the Dlican 2513. Carl arranged to see both running before committing. The Dlican prints on rigid sheet up to 2.5m by 1.3m and was specified with additional printheads, which lifts output speeds on longer runs, which was exactly what the company was looking for.
“In our demonstrations, we felt that the Dlican was much better and much faster. The quality was really good, and with the extra heads in it, the speed was phenomenal,” he explains.
The cutting table was a separate decision. CDM already runs CNC routers and lasers, so the requirement was for a digital cutter to sit alongside them rather than replace anything. Carl says, “We looked at cutting machines from a few other manufacturers, but the combination of the price and quality of the Kartech was really hard to beat. An added benefit is that it works seamlessly with the Dlican, creating a fast, high-quality workflow.”
Smooth installation
“The machines were delivered and then Scott from CPS came with engineers from China who were specialists on these machines. Installation was very smooth and they were up and running very quickly,” Carl adds.
He continues, “Although we are quite new to printing, the learning curve has been steep, mainly because the machines are so user-friendly. Both machines are now in production and working really well.”
Carl concludes, “We expect a rapid return on our investment by removing the need to outsource our printing and finishing work. The new set-up gives us more control over workflows and costs. We are not waiting on anyone else to hit our deadlines now, and that means we can take on more work, more competitively and with better margins.”
See more from China Print Supplies in The Guide