Durst provides the agility to unlock VGL growth

Print Solutions

VGL, a long standing customer of Durst, has invested in a new Rhotex 325 production press to meet growing customer demands for more flexible and agile ways of working.

Live production has started this month at VGL’s headquarters in Reading, Berkshire, with the Durst Rhotex 325 perfectly suited to the screen and digital print company’s expansion requirements. Already owning several Durst digital production presses, VGL needed to increase capacity and speed to cope with changing market demands. One new specialist area will involve printing on stretch materials, as well as on transfer papers and textiles.

‘We needed a decisive response to increased demands for fast turnaround and just in time delivery,’ explained VGL production director Mark Elen. ‘The Durst Rho 325 literally eats the volumes and is three to four times faster than the machines it will replace. Speed is really important when you have multiple clients all wanting their jobs straight away. It is apparent from this pandemic, more than ever you need to be extremely agile. It is an even more competitive market where, for example, we get asked by internationally renowned brands to change job specifications at a moment’s notice. And often you won’t know whether it is 300 or 3000 square meters to be printed. The Durst machines are absolutely superb and extremely reliable.’

VGL’s broad portfolio covers outdoor signage, transport, architectural, retail and promotional work as well as consultancy and strategic project management. The one stop shop also has a creative studio and provides full services from idea concept through to installation completion.

Mark added, ‘We are dedicated to innovation and committed to investing in the latest technology, which Durst provides. Durst, like VGL, is a family owned business and has people who are easy to deal. The organisation understands our business, is very supportive to our exacting requirements and the service levels are high. This is a real partnership.’

The Rhotex 325 is a dual purpose printing system that combines direct to textile printing with dye sublimation transfer printing technology. Depending on the application and fabric, this printing system can alternate between paper transfer and direct printing on polyester based materials in no time. This is possible, thanks to the new WTS printhead technology, which achieves an exceptionally high quality print using water based environmentally friendly dispersion inks for various printing materials, and reaches a printing speed of up to 4195 square feet per hour.