Alpha Colour Boosts Speed with SBL-820EF Install
(L-R) reprographic director Luke Ostle, Muldrew, SBL's Jim Lindley and foil operator Richard Jones
Alpha Colour Printers has boosted production efficiency with the purchase of a new foiling machine at its Gloucestershire site.
Installed in early September, the kit hasn’t been up and running for long but is expected to prove a valuable addition alongside the company’s five other foiling machines.
The SBL-820EF model was chosen for its speed and feel and will be used to boost the company’s greetings card production.
It marks the first time the firm has purchased from SBL. After considering an investment in a new foiling machine for months, the team had the chance to see the SBL equipment in action at a factory and were “sold”.
Managing director Amy Muldrew told Printweek: “We went and tested some of our jobs on it and took our foil operator with us who liked the look and feel of the machine, so we decided to go with it.”
The new machine can run at 6,000 sheets an hour, an upgrade to its other machines which can run up to 4,000 sheets.
It also has 200 tonnes of pressure, offering a “more punchy look” from the emboss, and it takes a bigger roll of foil which saves time from changing the roll less often. Training took around eight days and finished this week.
The new kit fit comfortably in the factory alongside the five other foiling machines, allowing the team to have multiple options and greater flexibility in choosing the right equipment to fit each job.
It will also allow the family-run business to take on more customers and "it means hopefully we can be even more efficient," added Muldrew, "we can continue to give the customer service we pride ourselves on.”
Other kit includes two Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 presses, two Heidelberg Cylinders for die-cutting, a guillotine and a Stitchmaster, as well as two folding machines and two digital printing presses.
In the business’s second factory nearby, which covers packaging and distribution, there is a card wrapping machine, flow wrapper and finishing equipment.
In December 2024 Alpha Colour invested in a new Heidelberg Versafire LV to replace an older Linoprint.
Founded in 1979 by Muldrew’s father, Jeff Williams, Alpha Colour specialised in offset litho work. It currently has 25 staff working across its two sites that cover 2,230sqm in Quedgeley, Gloucester.
Customers include advertising agencies, the local council, NHS, educational institutions, local businesses and national publishers.
The company will mark an official launch of the new SBL-820EF on 15 October by inviting customers and suppliers to see it in action.