Lanes add new GUK miniature folder
- Admin
- Mar 7, 2022
- 3 min read
Finishing Solutions
Lanes Printers, located in Broadstairs, is a more than 100 year old business that produces a wide range of printed product that includes diaries, journals and magazines, printed folding carton packaging, as well as miniature printed patient information leaflets (PILs) and product information leaflets for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
Wayne Yorath, managing director of Lanes Printers, explains the reason for the new GUK edition: ‘Miniature folding is an important element of our product offering. We had purchased our existing two GUK machines as a second hand product. They were beginning to show their age. To refurbish the machines now would have cost almost as much as a new one, so we decided to take the plunge and invest in the new piece of equipment.
‘This is a key part of our business, and we are picking up more and more pharmaceutical and similar work every week. Currently it is expanding – at this moment we have got a 750,000 run going through the new machine.’
The GUK FA 35/6 plate miniature folding machine is the only sheetfed folder specifically designed to handle the lightweight stocks used for pharmaceutical and healthcare leaflets. The durable cast iron construction is capable of withstanding many years of constant operation. The SVA drum suction feeder is a built-in, continuous load, bottom fed suction feeder which feeds sheets directly into the folding rollers, facilitating the feeding of extremely lightweight stock. Front air blasts aid the transfer of paper from the lightest pharmaceutical substrate. An optional air table is available for feeding long difficult to feed stock. Folding rollers are made of urethane and steel for durability, and are spring loaded and self-compensating – ideal for shortening make ready and changeover times. A touchscreen control panel for job set up swivels for easy visibility. This panel activates and controls the speed of all primary and auxiliary units, as well as displaying read outs of total and batch counts, and the current production speed.
With regard to the recent lockdowns, Wayne explains that, surprisingly, the pandemic has helped the business move forward: ‘There have been a number of companies that either went out of business or laid people off through furlough, and then realised that they had not got the capacity to handle urgent work when it came in. Because we retained all of our critical production team, we were on hand and able to pick up the work, enabling us to print, fold, and deliver what was needed, when it was needed.
‘Miniature folded leaflets are critical components for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. In the pharma world they are legally bound to include a PIL with every pack of product they distribute, so if one supplier can’t deliver on time, they will seek an alternative producer. We were able to pick up a number of new clients in the last couple of years due to these reasons.’
The company is fully equipped with both litho and digital printing equipment, as well as pre-press product, to enable end to end production of the work.
With regard to post press production, Wayne explained: ‘We have a range of machines that we can use for varying sizes of miniature folding work – down to product as small as 15 mm – for pharmaceutical leaflets, and we are keeping them busy. That is why we really needed the new machine. These leaflets are printed on paper weights as low as 50gsm, so proven technology, such as GUK – which has an excellent reputation in the leaflet sector – is essential.’
The company has a firm focus on delivering both quality and service to its customers, and understands the reasons for short lead times on orders: ‘These companies don’t want to carry large stocks of printed items – products and formulas can change at very short notice. They need print businesses to be very agile and flexible in order to meet the tight deadlines that they have to work to,’ said Wayne.
