Auckland-based marketing services provider, Benefitz, is the first site in the southern hemisphere to complete the installation a sheetfed Screen Truepress Jet SXB2 digital inkjet press. Manufactured by Dainippon Screen, and sold locally though Fuji Xerox, a subsidiary of Screen's New Zealand distributor, Fujifilm, the Truepress Jet SX was chosen following three years of careful research of the B2 digital market by directors Aidan and Dallas Bennett.
“I was first shown the Screen Jet SX at the international Ipex exhibition in the UK in 2010. As a Screen customer for CTP and the direct-imaging Truepress 344, we knew the quality of the equipment and the support we could expect from both Screen and its New Zealand distributor Fujifilm," said Aidan Bennett. "However, it was a beta demonstration back then and not ready for market. Following the first commercial installation of a Jet SX at RCS in the UK in late 2012, Dallas and I visited Screen’s technical centre in Tokyo where we put some of our own jobs through.”
According to Bennett, the marketing, versatility and environmental advantages were immediately apparent for his 25-year old progressive company.
- Fellow director Dallas Bennett with the new installation.
“This culture permeates right through our organisation of over 80 employees, from creation to print and fulfillment," he said. "The Jet SX ticked all the boxes for sheet size, enabling us to print 4-up, quality at 1440dpi on standard offset stocks up to 600gsm, the ability to vary the data on every sheet and personalise and of course the environment because there are no plates, chemicals, solvents and very little paper waste.”
The installation and training took place during July and August, with Benefitz’s offset printers receiving upskilling to digital from their B2 Komori presses, which are still kept busy for longer print runs. The Jet SX will compliment these offset presses and is a nice fit between the digital presses. It will take on existing work but will also bring lots of new opportunities due to the capability in terms of heavy stocks and sheet size.
“The requirements of our customers are constantly changing,” adds Aidan Bennett. “The Jet SX will be an essential tool for us to respond to their requirements. We also have some exciting new projects we will be tackling as a result of this investment.”
The company operates from two large premises in the go-ahead North Shore part of Auckland. Wide and grand format is housed in its own building with a new Fujifilm Uvistar Pro8 5 metre roll-feed press and a new EFI VuteK 3.2 metre flatbed UV amongst four Mimaki printers, cutters and CNC routers, die-cutters, laminators, PVC welders and finishing equipment. Every conceivable wide-format application is produced here including vehicle wraps, pop-ups, roll-ups, POP displays, teardrop banners, fabricated shop furniture, indoor and outdoor signage
The sheetfed printing, finishing, creative design, publishing and website development team is housed in a nearby larger building. App development is a recent addition to Benefitz’s range of marketing services. The Screen Jet SX is the latest addition to a fleet that includes two Komori five-colour offset presses fed by Screen CTP (also supplied by Fujifilm NZ); a GTO 52, a Fuji Xerox iGen4 and Color 1000 and a host of finishing equipment.
"We are partnering with Fuji Xerox to install this new Screen Truepress JetSX machine," said Aidan Bennett.
Benefitz runs a fleet of 20 wrapped and branded vehicles including a Hino lift-truck for billboard and other signage installations. The company also operates ‘A-Frame’ advertising trailers up to 6 x 3 metres which are towed around Auckland streets.
Fellow director, and Aidan’s brother, Dallas Bennett says: “We aim to provide as complete a service as possible for our customers. Our strategy is to use the latest technology investments to show customers what can be achieved and we encourage them to come in and see for themselves; we don’t hide our technology, we are proud of it. We are offset printers as well and publish magazines which for speed, economy and quality will remain offset but for how long is anyone’s guess. The Screen Jet SX is a sign of the future and will bring immediate benefits to our production capabilities, which our customers are going to love.”