Pontypridd based printed products manufacturer, DecTek have made the leap of diversifying their existing portfolio of services by purchasing a new Duplo DuSense spot UV and DC-646 multi finishing device. Both are now installed and running on the mezzanine floor of their newly acquired and refurbished factory across the road from their current headquarters.
“I’ve never been concerned about diversifying my business, at DecTek we’ve always looked at great marketing ideas and said let’s make it for our customers” says Managing Director Mike Beese. “Our current set up has taken 18 years to get right, but in the last three months we’ve almost doubled in size and scope. I didn’t look at the pandemic and lock-down in dread – I saw it as an opportunity to help, both my loyal customers and some of my competitors. We managed to help key local businesses at the time. But also it allowed us to really look at our set up and the products we had developed for our existing customers.”
Our referral rate is incredibly high, with over 7000 customers all through verbal referrals and I’ve made it a key policy to put that back into researching the right new equipment for future growth. This is why the purchase of the DuSense is so important to us along with the DC-646 multi finisher. Traditionally we produce domed products, made of different materials for a multitude of business, it’s a lot of fun, and it has allowed us to branch out into more traditional areas. We’ve found that we needed the DuSense for innovative and bespoke packaging. It will enable us to produce promotional products for both our clients and their customers. It will also enable us to embellish and enhance our current product offering. We’re aiming to level up our clients and their products in their own markets, inspiring their customers and increasing sales throughout all the touchpoints of our customers businesses. Our partnership with Duplo will be the biggest catalyst for expansion our company has seen. I expect the products to come of DecTek to positively influence anyone who sees them.” We brought on a really talented Packaging Specialist in Matt Samuel, his enthusiasm and knowledge in both print and packaging in his previous roles was a perfect fit for DecTek and has come at the right time.
Matt Samuel Senior Partner at DecTek said, “The innovations we’re seeing with the DuSense for packaging is the prefect cross pollination of print and packaging. This is always going to be customer and requirement led. The DuSense will give us the quality look and feel of high-end designer packaging. And that field is all about being bespoke and exceeding our customer expectations. Mike and his team have always done that, and to be able to do that now for digital packaging is very exciting indeed.”
With an array of high definition 600dpi ink jet heads, DecTek’s new DuSense can create textured printing of variable density, ranging from 20* to 80-micron thickness, all in just one pass, enabling the combination of heavy solids and fine detail in the same image as well as smooth curves and detailing in beautiful fine lines. Image accuracy is maintained by twin cameras and the Duplo IRM (Image Register Mark) ensure alignment precision, within 0.2mm accuracy along the entire sheet length. With an automatic set-up and adjustment for every sheet, extending from XY image shift to stretch, skew (rotation) and twist (distortion) that are particularly common after laminating. This allows Mike’s operators to load the DuSense and leave it to do other tasks, with no further operator interactions. The DecTek DuSense also has the Corona treatment option that enables customers to add embellishment without the need for the additional process of lamination, saving both time and money. The Corona option has the benefit of not having to stock different varnishes to embellish print from different print engines. Both the DuSense and the DC-646 and a range of digital cutting tables, and digital presses from Canon and HP have been installed in their new factory over the road from their main building. The original building contains their state of the art – and ever-changing doming laboratory. DecTek were also the first company in Wales to purchase two Canon Colorados and the Arizona 3500 UV flatbed printer, and long with their Mimaki flatbed and HP latex printers – DecTek can print on just about any substrate imaginable.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like Mike with so much passion and enthusiasm for his business,” says Jason Davies – Regional Sales Manager at Duplo. “I have had the factory tour 6 times so far and I will never tire from it, and now they are a Duplo customer, I truly feel part of the business and part of the road map going forward. Mike has embraced embellishment with the DuSense, and I can’t wait to see the creative products that DecTek and Big Bang are going to produce. The ethos of both companies is true automation, from seamless workflow right through to finishing including the Duplo DC-646. I look forward to working very closely and with Mike, Matt and the team and partnering up to grow their business into something truly spectacular!
“The future of DecTek is bright and ambitious,” concludes Mike. “The business we have at this moment in time, will be completely different in the next five years. We’ve already started to diversify the interests with the launch of our new packaging & print divisions called Big Bang Print. We view our role in our customer’s workflow as the product manufacturing side, so we have to jump fast when we want to create something brand new, moving from one of the largest producers of domed labels and products to badges, signs, promotional materials, PVC banners, cardboard POS, bespoke packaging, all the way to wallpapers. Since the print industry is changing, we need to change also – simple products have the potential to be engineered into great products – and that’s why our customers keep coming back!”
