ImagesMagUK_April_2021

www.images-magazine.com APRIL 2021 images 39 IS DECORATOR PROFILE We needed to be fairly bold with what we did that involve the cut and fabric types that clients want,” Duncan says. Before Covid, Inspired already accounted for 20% of Screenworks’ business. “It grew very quickly. Certainly in our industry it led the charge with that low MOQ and short lead time.” Boosting automation At the start of 2020, Screenworks embarked on projects to boost efficiency and automation after appointing David Bailey to the new post of IT director alongside an IT manager. Initiatives include introducing enterprise resource planning software to support single data entry across the whole business. “Data has always been there as a tool, but we’ve got a hunger now to understand the opportunities better,” Duncan adds. The company also kept up its ISO accreditations over the past year: it was reaccredited for ISO9001 and ISO4001 and, for the first time, gained ISO45001 for health and safety. Screenworks also pressed on with investment in equipment. The biggest purchase was an Avalanche HD6 direct-to-garment printer from Kornit towards the end of last year. “We as a business have had our eye on the direct-to-garment market for at least 10 years when the first machines were coming into the market. As with all that new technology, they weren’t really ready, but slowly things have developed. We had some small, entry- level direct-to-garment machines in before and they’ve done what they said on the tin, but ultimately I think this is the first machine that we’ve felt has delivered on quality and reliability and has got the commerciality there to be able to take it to market.” Screenworks also went with Kornit because of its support, including training. “They are very different, sensitive pieces of kit and to get them right, there are so many different variables that you’re working with,” Duncan explains. “It takes Kornit’s knowledge and experience to guide you through it, which they have done very well, and we’re looking to hopefully build on that in the coming years. The quality of the reproduction, the photorealistic prints on there, are just second to none. The all-in-one pretreatment and print option is something that we always wanted. We tried so many different standalone pretreat set-ups, but we knew that the only real option, even if it compromised the output performance, would be an all-in-one machine.” The Avalanche joins three MHM screen print presses and an M&R printer, alongside two Adelco dryers, six heat transfer presses and eight SWF dual-function embroidery machines, nearly all eight-head, which enables the company to decorate up to 125,000 units per week – 6.5 million items per year. It can also offer special effects such as puff print, high-build gel and UV glow. And having invested in a Dekken T-Apparel automated folding machine from MHM Direct GB in 2019, Screenworks added the bagging machine last year to create a complete Dekken in-line system. The investment in the Avalanche was part of Screenworks’ strategy to explore the potential for on-demand in promotional textiles. “The pandemic has really had an effect on the pace at which retailers are changing the way they procure garments and that model of their supply chain,” Duncan explains. “We’ve seen them not wanting to hold stock. We see a lot of what comes through retail tends to filter through to our industry in some shape or form in subsequent years. So the whole on- demand model is something that we’ve only just started looking at, but there’s definitely a hunger there. There’s a definite marriage to be had between that print-on-demand model and our Bespoke garments with a low MOQ, such as this sublimated sports T-shirt, are available from Screenworks Inspired The 10-colour, 12-station MHM S-Type carousel in action The company produced Bumpaa face coverings in response to the coronavirus pandemic