With a very busy start to the new year, we wanted to take some time to reflect on the big changes we made at the end of 2019 into the die side of our business.
Last year, we were conscious of the fact that with an increase of volume of work, we were relying on a few of our “back up” pieces of equipment daily. With limited space at our factory in Essex, we were unable to introduce them fully into operation. To ensure the highest standards of quality and service were met, a £100,000 investment into Metallic Elephants Magnesium die division began.
Firstly, to improve productivity throughout, we opted for a newly-refined extension to house our new post room. This was equipped with a new state-of-the-art skin packing machine, complemented by plenty of surrounding bench space to greatly enhance workflow. We found this has instantly sped up our daily packing routine. We didn’t stop there though; an additional room was added adjacent to the die room, a purpose-built air-conditioned space with plenty of room to bring in the new equipment required.
Online film imagesetters are now quite rare due to the onset of CTP systems, but Derek Hillyard of L & M Imaging managed to source an exact match to our requirements. This has enabled us to now double up on our film output and to support this we have added an additional print down frame and additional large bandsaw.
Alongside our four etching machines we now believe we have one of the best equipped magnesium etching departments in the UK. With a promotion to long serving, highly-skilled staff from within the company to head the department, we were ready to hit the ground running in the new year.
Thanks to this investment and our well-qualified team, 2020 is already turning out to be a benchmark year for innovation and craftsmanship for us here at Metallic Elephant.
