Horizon Graphics, a Sydney-based trade supplier specialising in screen-printed coatings, digital spot UV, mounting, and die cutting, has installed a world-first, customised laminating machine through Graffica. The deal was for a customised Fengchi GW 1450 A Series, with the inclusion of a new sheet size of SRA3 (up to 1400mm), which Horizon Graphics purchased earlier this year and installed in May.
Graffica director Neil Southerington said, “Fengchi typically doesn’t make machines to take on SRA3. But we had an enquiry from Horizon Graphics that required us to be able to process A3 size as well as A1 and A2.
“Plus, our standard machine was too long for the allocated space. But Fengchi took all of these challenges on board and produced a customised machine based on Horizon Graphics’ requirements – with the works and delivery all done within 40 days. And the shortened machine was without detriment to quality or performance.”
Horizon Graphics owner Adam Mezgec said the new deal with Graffica was forged when the company was looking for faster, quicker options for its legacy mounting machine.
“It was time for us to renew the machine we had, so we did some research over the six months prior. We then did a comparison of the technical specifications and costings of several similar machines, and the Fengchi came up top in value for product,” he said.
“The Fengchi’s speed, ease of setup, and suitability for the range of substrates that we mount on was a further appeal to us. We were then introduced to Neil by someone within the industry, and we went through our prerequisites with him – including the need to take on SRA3 and having a smaller footprint to fit our factory – and were very happy to hear they could make the machine to suit our needs.”
The Fengchi GW 1450 is a high-speed flute laminator that is ideal for medium to large scale corrugated packaging manufacturers. It features a maximum speed of 16,000 sheets per hour for 24/7 production to reduce lead times and increase capacity. A ±1.0mm accuracy reduces material waste and improves quality.
Advanced automation ensures stable and reliable performance, while the machine enables jobs to be switched in just two to five minutes, resulting in minimal downtime. In addition, its servo motors and drives are built with a 35 per cent load reserve for more than 15 years of consistent performance.
Since the install, Horizon Graphics has improved its operations with efficiency, quicker setups, faster production times, and an ease on the operator.
“We can set up now in about a quarter of the time of what we used to and run speeds at probably five or six times as fast as before. The cost of running is a saving too, as it uses less glue,” Mezgec said.
“It’s also a lot more user-friendly for our staff as it’s all digital and servo driven – we just need to punch in the sheet size, and all the adjustments are done electronically.
“The industry of today wants delivery on-time, so with the Fengchi GW 1450, we can now not only keep customer job requirements on-time and meet deadlines but also have the capacity to take on more work while looking after the welfare of our staff.
“The Fengchi GW 1450 requires no tools and features a touch screen and servo motors that result in very fast set-ups and high outputs,” Southerington added.
“With SRA3 being a popular digital print size, and usually in small lots, fast job changes are important. Being a trade printer, Horizon has some challenging jobs too, such as back-to-back printed cards, so this machine best delivers on Horizon Graphics’ needs.
“The installation and training also went smoothly. It helps when you have a very experienced team to work with. This install in Sydney has given Graffica a trifecta – in the first five months of 2026, we’ve had machines installed in Melbourne, Auckland, and Sydney.”
According to Mezgec, Horizon Graphics is looking forward to building its new relationship with Graffica over time and strengthening the collaboration further.
“It is a new partnership, but Neil was very informative and easy to work with. This deal started off as one but could and will continue as we need more products or anything else in the Fengchi world in future,” he said.
* This article is reprinted from www.propack.pro
Since installing the world-first, customised laminating machine from Graffica, Horizon Graphics has improved its operations by increasing efficiency, speeding up setup, reducing production time, and simplifying operations.
