Late to the party, but we’ve been here for a while! 2021 round up.

Although we are late to the party, we wish all of our trusted customers, suppliers, colleagues & friends Happy New Year and all the very best for our next trip around the sun. The last Year was a special one for Roberts Graphics, as it was our 30th Year in the trade of used PRINT machinery.

Despite the challenges faced in 2021 regarding the Brexit transition and pandemic, the last 12 months still provided a lot of positivity, with some notable sales and installations here in the UK and overseas.

Commercial sheet fed printers faced significant challenges in the past Year and, as a result, there was significant consolidation and closures in the sector. Despite the climate, there were still opportunities for UK Printers to upgrade and re-equip, with the installation of several Heidelberg and Komori presses in both B1 & B2 formats. Demand from Asia and Other destinations also showed promise, with the used offset press team recording numerous export sales in both commercial and packaging sheet fed machinery.

Highlights for our bindery & Finishing Machinery included the supply of a fully refurbished Heidelberg KH82 (32page) folder to BCQ PRINT Group, to support them in their move to larger Format printing.
Spanish Client Euroinnova Editorial brought book production in-house with the purchase of a Bourg 3002 PUR perfect binder with Challenge CMT 330 Trimmer. A dealer in the Netherlands required a fast delivery of a Horizon Stitchliner SL-5500 for one of their clients. Roberts Graphics managed to arrange an inspection in Scandinavia, prior to loading and delivery of the machine within two weeks.

With extended lead times on new machinery and increasing demand for packaging, Roberts Graphics client’s requirement for Used Carton Converting Machinery has remained high during 2021. To meet this demand, Roberts Graphics have purchased equipment from all corners of the world supplying a Large Format Iberica die cutter from Norway into the UK, three Bobst SP 76E Autoplatens to a German customer, a superbly maintained Bobst SP 104E to a food packaging specialist in Eqypt, and a Bobst SP 1120E to New Zealand. We have shipped gluers to Canada, Window Patchers to the Middle East, Heiber and Schroder Traymaker to the USA. Our specialist engineers have installed and commissioned late model gluers and tray makers into UK carton plants, and provided full operator training. We look forward to continued demand in 2022.

Whilst the requirements for Web Offset Machinery have waned steadily over the years, these machines still play a large part of Roberts Graphics’ offering and service. We have continued to purchase Web presses for stock. Over the last Year we have completed the final purchase and sales of 3 x M600 Web presses from a large PRINT shop, the export of a Komori System 38 from the UK to Asia, and a Goss Magnum and Manugraph Press to clients in India. We have also installed a Tensor Press and a Goss Community at 2 different clients in Italy, the latter of which was originally printing one of our local newspapers, the Barnsley Chronicle.

Used Flexo Label Presses continue to be in high demand as the market for All Types of labels has continued to grow. We have supplied many domestic and export clients with both used narrow Web machines and converting presses, including an ABG Digicons, a GM Maskinfabrik DC 330, 3 x Mark Andy 2200s and a Gallus press all to UK facilities, some of which were a result of our refurbishment program. Amongst overseas sales were another Digicon, Several Mark Andy (2200s, LP3000s & 4150) presses and Several Nilpeter FA and FB sales.

We are always looking to buy machinery for stock and have an extensive offering across the full spectrum of graphic machinery, so please reach out to us for any requirements. We look forward to hearing how we can help you in 2022.