CMYUK, Shrewsbury: Poole-based Quadrant2Design has ordered a second EFI Professional 16h UV LED hybrid printer from CMYUK. To be put in in July, this second mannequin arrives six years after the primary, and like its authentic counterpart, will probably be used solely for printing exhibition flooring.
Now in its twenty fifth 12 months of buying and selling, Quadrant2Design is a devoted exhibition contractor that works instantly with end-users. Its mission is straightforward: to allow prospects to reconfigure and re-use their exhibition stands in numerous areas, at completely different occasions, time and time once more. Clients that purchase a couple of stand a 12 months are in a position to retailer graphics at no cost on the firm’s devoted storage facility that at the moment holds over 1000 drums of buyer art work that may be reused and repurposed for future occasions.
Since 2014, Quadrant2Design has been the only real distributor for the modular Status Occasions System within the UK and makes use of it completely. Stands contain whole graphic protection, which the enterprise phrases the ‘100% Graphic Look’, additional enhanced by photo-floors that stretch graphics into this historically neglected space.
“We’ve invested in a second EFI Professional 16h to extend capability and construct in a degree of redundancy. If there’s a mechanical problem, which is a uncommon prevalence, we will proceed manufacturing as a result of we work in an business that has very brief turnaround instances, large peaks in demand, and we can not fail on a deadline. If the ground isn’t down on the morning of a present’s construct day, there’s not going to be a stand,” says Ross Pike, Operations Director.
“Every thing is finished in-house, nothing is subcontracted out from the design, printing, ending, set up, challenge administration, and logistics. The brand new Professional 16h will assist us preserve this,” says James Vicefield, Advertising and marketing Supervisor.
Simply look down
Quadrant2Design is exclusive in that its printed flooring are an integral component to its stand construct providers. “We’ve printed some superb flooring with actually enjoyable ideas. One in every of our prospects provides fish meals and we designed their flooring to appear like a Koi Carp pond with pathways spherical it. With one other shopper that produces floor finishes for out of doors makes use of, we printed completely different tiles, paving, and block work on the ground, which regarded very life like,” says Ross.
“There are additionally extra sensible issues that prospects are doing with their flooring,” says James. “One in every of our purchasers has QR codes printed on it so guests to the stand can enter competitions. Printed flooring additionally assist with threshold points – getting guests onto stands by way of the utilisation of intelligent graphic methods attractive them to take that important step,” says James.
For its flooring work, the enterprise prints direct to 2mm expanded foam PVC product reasonably than carpet to make sure a pointy photographic end. The EFI Professional 16h is the right UV LED printer for the job. An industrial 1.6m large, hybrid printer, it handles the heavy flooring rolls with ease. The fabric utilises the printer’s hybrid flatbed which, with its highly effective vacuum holds the fabric in place throughout printing to make sure correct output.
“Utilizing a roll-to-roll course of wouldn’t work utilizing such a flooring materials because of the inherent density inconsistencies within the expanded foam. The Pinch rollers would create a stretch within the materials, so any steady graphics working throughout the 1m large drops we produce wouldn’t line up, creating anomalies in logos and print patterns,” notes Ross.
The EFI Professional 16h
The EFI Pro16h has a decision of as much as 1200 dpi and affords 4 colors with white as commonplace. This may be imaged like another color or used for multi-layer printing for better revenue alternative. True four-level, variable-drop greyscale print functionality permits for the replica of near-photographic photos, saturated colors plus clean gradients.
“The reliability, consistency, no-nonsense manufacturing, and the dimensions of the printer is what actually works for us. The routine upkeep is straight ahead and retains the printer working with out problem. It’s a real workhorse and delivers what we anticipate.
“There should not many 1.6m large hybrid printers available in the market which have such a compact footprint, and as we all know the Professional 16h was designed to undergo a regular sized door. Regardless of having a big facility, house is extremely helpful to us as a result of we allocate a good portion of it to prebuilding our stands. We totally assemble every stand to confirm the standard of the construction, guarantee the proper {hardware} is put in, and ensure that the printing of graphics and flooring is flawless. Clients may even pre preview them prematurely, due to this fact with two EFI Professional 16h hybrid printers, plus all our different printing and ending tools, house was a serious consideration,” says Ross.
Quadrant2Design has constructed its enterprise round 3 central tenets of the Status Occasions System: modularity, reusability, and sustainability. Specializing in these has enabled it to develop effectively, permitting for the design and manufacturing of excessive quantity, premium high quality stands, with a reasonably excessive diploma of complexity.
Says Ross: “We’re delighted with the steering and repair that CMYUK has given us. Over the previous 12 months, we’ve printed over 14, 000 sq. m of flooring alone. Our funding within the EFI Professional 16h printers has been a serious contribution to our success, and the set up of a second mannequin will enhance capability, enhance quantity output, and help additional development.”
