October 6, 2006

 

More than 30 book publishers attended an Open Day for CPI Antony to mark the official unveiling of its new £1million ‘on demand’ printing plant in Eastbourne, which included the first commercial showing of Océ’s cut-sheet printer that is taking the market by storm.

 

This ‘major breakthrough’ for Océ has involved a trial installation of the new Océ VarioPrint 6250, the world's fastest duplex printer.

 

The machine, which can produce 250 double-sided A4/letter or 132 double-sided A3/ledger prints per minute, was a centrepiece of the Open Day on the Sussex coast.

 

CPI Antony Rowe is the UK’s first book printer to install the new machine, which was launched at Océ's OpenHouse in March and features Océ unique Gemini Instant Duplex technology.

 

Thanks to its high speed and quality, it is a new alternative for graphic arts printers for the short-run and print-on-demand production of books.

 

CPI Antony Rowe's new plant is four times bigger than its previous nearby premises and was needed to cater for annual business growth of between 30 and 40% over the last three years. Business is expected to grow by another 24% in 2006.

 

Bob Hunt, Managing Director of CPI Antony Rowe’s Eastbourne plant, which employs 55 people on site, said: “We have installed and are running the Océ 6250 on a trial basis, with a view to having one here on site permanently by the end of the year. The main issue is increasing capacity. This is a major breakthrough for Océ - its 6250 produces a similar quality to the [Xerox] Nuvera, but is much faster and more productive, and that's what makes the big difference.

 

“The 6250 is a very good machine and has been running exceptionally well during our trial. Our operators are very pleased and have been bending my ear about its excellent quality and productivity. Based on the results from the trials, it is extremely likely that Océ will form a key part of Anthony Rowe's future strategy.”

 

Ed Hudson, Programme Manager for the Océ VarioPrint 6250, said: “We've been overwhelmed by the unprecedented interest in the 6250 and delighted that it’s been so well received by CPI Anthony Rowe in Eastbourne.”