Images Digital Edition DEC 2018

PF PRE-PRESS AND PACKING www.images-magazine.com 76 images DECEMBER 2018 Manjit Rana, production manager Tell us a bit about your business Benchmark was established in April this year, and became operational in late May, early June. The combined experience of the staff within this business is a couple of hundred years from senior management all the way down to shop floor staff. We took on a 10,000 sq ft plant that needed to be fully put back together. Everything is new, and I mean everything – even the kettle. We have new MHMs, new dryers, new Tajimas... We‘re very proud as to where we‘ve taken the business in such a short period of time. We generally do promotional work and trade-to-trade, such as gift houses and retail – we don‘t work with end users. What pre-press equipment have you bought, and why did you buy it? We bought the Spyder II and the V-Lux Exposure Unit from Exile. I have a lot of history with Mark [Evans, managing director] from Exile and knew it would be beneficial when we were putting this plant together to work with Exile again and see if they had brought anything new to the market. It‘s paid dividends with the V-Lux. We knew if we invested in the right technology and automated everything, it would help with how we perform as a unit and what we produce. Why did you choose these machines? The Spyder I had experienced previously This month, we talk to two decorators about how their new pre-press and packing equipment is working out for them Telling it like it is: Pre-press and packing Benchmark Print & Embroidery: Exile Spyder II CTS and V-Lux Upright Exposure Cabinet and what I found was that you always got that same set quality no matter whether you are producing 10 screens a day or if you are producing 50 to 100 screens a day, as we currently do. The level of service and quality and back- up support that you get from Exile is phenomenal. It‘s not just a sale, it‘s more working alongside you and helping you. I think that‘s a big, big difference. When we looked at the V-Lux, the floor space that it takes is next to nothing, and it‘s just so consistent and that‘s what you want. It makes a big difference because it‘s all about your times and your efficiency. When you‘re It makes us more productive and more efficient Manjit in the fully automated screen room