Bluetree Group adds second Jwei digital cutting system from CMYUK

Print Solutions Wide Format Solutions

Bluetree Group has added a second Jwei Jcut-3230 digital cutting table to its wide format production portfolio. This latest acquisition follows the company’s major tranche of investment last year when it purchased its first Jcut-3230 cutting table, High Roller Carousel roll storage system, and a Neolt XY Matic Plus 165 Trimmer Plus, all from CMYUK, which joined four EFI super wide industrial printers.

Bluetree’s journey into digital large format production began in earnest during early 2024. However, the decision to move into this new sector was made back in 2018 to capitalise on a sustained period of growth with its existing small format print business. In late 2019, the company acquired the unit next door for this new wide format endeavour, and almost immediately, the pandemic hit, delaying proceedings until last year.

‘We decided we needed to throw everything at it to make it work and went to drupa with that in mind,’ said Mark Young, managing director, Bluetree Group.

The new digital cutting table is the largest in the Jcut family with a 3.2 x 3 metre bed. It was this width capacity that appealed to Bluetree as it matches the width of its EFI printers. This minimises waste, optimises efficiency, and enables the seamless processing of large format textiles central to the business’ expansion of outdoor banner and soft signage production.

Senior management have been impressed with the reliability and build quality of the machine, which Mark says, ‘has all the gadgets and routing tools’ needed for a wide variety of applications.

The speed and versatility of these cutting tables can more than handle output from the EFI printers, ensuring that finishing is no longer the bottleneck in the production workflow. The decision to invest in this second model further emphasises the success of the EFI-Jwei pairing.

Now with two cutting lines in action, Bluetree is able to run PVC materials on one and soft textiles on the other concurrently. This set up complements the multiple EFI printers, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient workflow across a variety of materials and applications.

Training on the new cutter and the accompanying OptiScout software was a breeze. ‘It was fairly effortless,’ said Mark. ‘CMYUK trained a few guys when they first came in, and then a couple more, and we have had no reported problems.’

Another critical component in the company’s production set up is the High Roller Carousel – an automatic roll storage system. Able to hold up to 16 rolls up to three metres wide, the Carousel is sited behind the EFI printers for convenient access, ensuring that material handling doesn’t slow down the high speed production capabilities of the printers.

‘We probably work with nine or ten live materials. Our run lengths are fairly short, and we do quite a lot of changeovers throughout the day, so it is important for us to have the ability to switch between them quite quickly,’ noted Mark.

Storing rolls off the floor, too, improves health and safety as well as reduces the risk of needless damage to the materials.

The business has also invested in a Neolt XY Matic Plus 165 specifically for the slitting of posters. A plug and play trimmer, it offers a standard roll load capacity of up to 70 kg, adjustable x and y axis speed, and an adjustable waste collection system.

In addition to the above, Bluetree installed four EFI printers last year – Vutek Q3r, Vutek h5, Vutek h5+, and an Vutek Fabrivu 340i+.

The decision to invest with EFI technology was influenced by several factors including the company’s pre-existing sales relationships, competitive pricing on both new and used printing equipment, and exceptional print performance.

‘We were moving from HP flatbeds onto these EFI printers, and we were really impressed with the quality – they really work so well for us,’ said Mark.

Whether producing banners, soft signage, or exploring greater applications in wide format, Bluetree now has the technological backbone in place to support its ambitions and growth in the market.