After becoming the first manufacturer in the UK to invest in the Sakurai MS80-SD in 2012, Fascia Graphics, the market leader for the production of membrane keypads and graphic overlays, has invested in a second machine. This will provide both performance and energy efficiency improvements, which will also lead to a significant reduction in its carbon footprint.
After working closely with the Sakurai and Natgraph, the supplier of the machine – the printer has been built with a Natgraph High Temperature, Air Force UV/IR combination dryer, Model 90, which is the latest technology for a cylinder screen printing line for industrial screen printing. The machine also comes with a unique anti scratch substrate paths, which reduces waste.
Michael Hole, Systems Improvement Manager at Fascia Graphics, said:
“Our investment last year in our first Sakurai put further distance between Fascia and our competitors with regard to performance, quality of product and energy efficiencies. This latest investment reinforces our competitive advantage, whilst continuing to reduce carbon emissions.
As raw material and energy costs keep rising, this new line will enable us to continue supplying a market leading product at a competitive price.”
The Ultra-high precision rotary and stop motion cylinder screen press also includes a print elongation correction system, a pressurised squeegee system that guarantees consistent ink weight and a multi-sensor system that guarantees perfect alignment between colours.
Fascia’s heritage
Fascia Graphics is set to turn 20 years old next year, and this latest investment in technology is just another example of how it has always pushed the boundaries for investing in (and developing) market leading approaches and innovations. Established with a customer base of 40 customers, Fascia is now widely regarded as the market leader for the production of membrane keypads and graphic overlays in the printed graphics industry, and serves in excess of 800 customers. The company’s continued growth is a testimony to its ability to satisfy customers across many sectors such as medical, security, fire and instrumentation.
As a sign of its quality, Fascia is ISO 9001:2000 accredited. ISO is an international standard that gives requirements for an organisation’s Quality Management Systems (“QMS”). The company has also been accredited with the Underwriters Laboratories’ UL PGDQ2 status. The UL Mark is the most widely recognised safety certification mark in the world, and achieving this opened up a vast US market for UL approved graphic overlays and membrane keypads.
Understanding its customers
Fascia regularly researches its customers to measure service levels and customer satisfaction and its most recent survey of its Top 500 customers found that; 90 per cent state that its membrane keypads and graphic overlays are superior in quality to its competitors with 96 per cent saying that its account managers are highly knowledgeable and professional.
More specifically, Dafydd Hughes, Supply Assurance Manager, AGD Systems Limited, commented on Fascia’s service: “In an increasingly competitive environment, we recognised that we wanted to work with a screen supplier that was willing to continuously improve its products and not stand still. Fascia fitted this mould by constantly challenging itself to improve its quality, cost and delivery.”
Taking a value engineered approach.
Fascia’s Value Engineered Review (FVER), identifies cost cutting exercises across its customer base and has realised savings of between five and 20 per cent for those in the company’s supply chain. By using its technical knowledge, the company is able to make suggestions about materials, adhesives and specification of parts, to ensure customers receive the most cost efficient and high-quality product possible.
Ivan Harris, Chief Marketing Officer of PowerOasis commented: “It was crucial that we embodied our brand into the design and stand out from the other units on the market. The general design was undertaken by our graphic design company, and then converted into engineering drawings by Fascia Graphics.”
“Fascia are highly responsive, collaborative and professional. They have helped us identify the most appropriate materials for our membranes and have accommodated an engaging approach to turning our requirements into a finished product. They have always been transparent on their costs and have helped us arrive at a lower cost solution in some cases by helping us trade off requirements. The quality of the shipped items have been exemplary.”
To speak to Fascia’s highly experienced team about either product cost saving solutions, or its unique and market leading approach to manufacturing call 01249 460606 or email sales@fasciagraphics.co.uk
