Page 26 - PWM2026_MARCH EBOOK

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Route 1 Print boosts capacity

with PLASTGrommet

ne As the UK’s largest trade printer, Route 1 manufacturer and supplier of banner and textile finishing
Print operates from a 300,000sq ft facility, automation solutions with a history of R&D dating back
Large-scale produc- employs more than 350 staff, and works exclu- to 1990. From automatic eyelet presses and integrated
tion demands a sively with print resellers as an extension of banner and textile finishing systems, to media roll lifters
their businesses.
streamlined work- A With more than 10,000 jobs dispatched and storage racks, PLASTGrommet’s entire portfolio has
flow to meet cus- each week, maintaining reliability and consistency is cen- been designed to streamline and automate the banner
and textile display finishing process.
tomer expectations tral to the operation. Large-format print accounts for
for speed and reliabil- 15-20% of overall output, equating to around 1,500-2,000 Addressing efficiency across the large-format
ity. Route 1 Print is a jobs each week spanning a wide range of applications, workflow
company that has including posters, signage, roller banners, outdoor ban- For Route 1 Print, automation plays a significant role
ners and exhibition stands.
built its operation In recent years, the business has seen sustained growth in maintaining its production capacity across the entire
workflow, from intelligently grouping jobs to improve
around this require- in demand for outdoor large-format print, particularly efficiency, through to ensuring printers apply the correct
ment. banners and signage, as organisations look for more visi- layouts, ink settings, and production modes for each job
ble ways to communicate. type. This approach supports greater consistency, accu-
For smaller businesses in particular, these formats offer racy, and throughput across the operation.
a practical and cost effective route to high-impact display. One area of large-format production that is frequently
In order to keep pace with this growing demand, Route 1 overlooked is finishing. Tasks such as eyeletting, cutting
Print decided to take control and was seeking a solution to size, handling large rolls of media, and welding or sew-
that would enable it to bring all large-format print finish- ing seams and hems are inherently time-consuming and
ing in-house. physically demanding. As PLASTGrommet often
This led the company to PLASTGrommet, a leading observes, no matter how fast printing equipment

26 PrintWeek MENA March 2026 www.printweekmena.com