Images Magazine June 2018

www.images-magazine.com JUNE 2018 images 41 BRAND PROFILE and cheaper than cast aluminium, is used for the larger machines and also for those presses that are aimed at people with smaller budgets. Nevertheless, the durability of cast aluminium means it is still used in Adkins’s desktop machines, including the company’s bestseller, the 20” by 15” Beta Maxi. “The entire Beta range is cast aluminium,” explains Marie. “It does put the price up, but you’ve got longevity, you’ve got robustness. The Beta Maxi is so popular because as it is made from cast aluminium, even though it’s a manual press, you can turn the pressure up – it will meet almost every application that requires a heavy pressure.” Bespoke manufacturing The Beta range was introduced 25 years ago, and it’s a testament to the build quality that some of the original machines are still being used today, day in, day out. The pneumatic Beta Major is another popular choice, with its two-button operation taking the physical workload off the operator. Another bestselling pneumatic model is the Omega 1000 dual-head press. “It is very much a production machine, with one T-shirt able to be set up on one head while the garment on the other head is pressed. It’s very popular for people who have large runs of shirts and want to get a rhythm going,” Robin explains. The company’s wide range of machines, which stretches from the Studio to the Alpha, will service around 90% of heat pressing applications, explains Robin. For the remainder, Adkins offers a bespoke heat press manufacturing service – the company most recently built a machine for use with tights, which It will meet almost every application that requires a heavy pressure The bestselling Beta Maxi press “Our machines last for so long that when somebody’s bought a machine, they may not come back to us for 10 years. We wanted to get involved in providing a consumable that gives us repeat business.” The Sublisure system had a soft launch earlier this year, and is already being used in 300 schools across the UK. It is, reports Robin, “going great guns – it’s been very well received”. The sublimation printers, which come complete with a range of tailormade ICC profiles, were officially launched in May at Fespa 2018. The range currently supports Epson and Ricoh products up to 24” wide. It’s a century since the company first started trading. During that time its market, and indeed the world, has altered almost beyond recognition. The fact that it has managed to evolve, innovate and stay abreast of changing requirements, while simultaneously maintaining its heritage as a manufacturer of quality products, is no small feat. Indeed, it is a testament to the passion, drive and customer-focused approach that are at the heart of A Adkins & Sons and the products that bear its name. www.aadkins.com The Omega 1000 is a dual-head, pneumatic press presses both sides of the garment at the same time. It was a special request that led to Adkins creating a new range of heat pressing equipment three years ago: a company in Leicester asked the team to supply a 2m calendar. Adkins was then asked to develop a second calendar for a factory in Egypt and the company’s calendar range was born. “We realised that there was an opportunity here and so we produced a smaller, compact 1.2m calendar, and then more recently a 1.7m calendar,” says Robin. Adkins works with a manufacturer in China, and then brings the calendars over to the UK where modifications are made to ensure the machines align with European standards, explains Marie. “It means we get the best of both worlds: the cost is kept down but it is finished here to ensure it meets our standards.” The calendars all use oil-filled drums. “That way the first metre of material will be as good as the hundredth metre of material with no deterioration in print, because the heat on the drum remains constant as the product goes through,” says Robin. Other features include a tracking device to ensure the material doesn’t skew, as well as safety details, such temperature alerts and automatic cut-out control. Also new from the company is the Sublisure range of sublimation inks, software and printers. Introduced this year, the range has been in development for two years, with the paper created in collaboration with German manufacturer Felix Schoeller. It’s the first time Adkins has manufactured an ink, reveals Marie.