Kontich, Belgium / Aalsmeer, the Netherlands – Acto Print and Mail Services, a Belgian specialist in transaction printing and document distribution, has installed a Truepress JET 520NX to meet growing demand for colour in transaction print materials and to deliver a wide range of complex print jobs, from high-volume to tailormade small runs, faster and with consistent quality.
Acto delivers large numbers of transactional documents for banks, insurers and other companies each day. On an annual basis, it produces approximately 180 million prints, distributed in about 50 million postal mailings and counting.
Consistent quality
Bart ter Haar, Managing Director at Acto, says: “Almost every document that leaves Acto is a unique document. That’s why, apart from the price and the volume the machine can handle, we needed a high-quality, reliable inkjet digital printing press. When we started looking for a new investment, we found SCREEN’s modern inkjet digital printer to be the best option because of its ability to produce high volumes of variable data printing at a consistently top print quality and extremely accurate and precise.” He added that the 520NX switches easily between printing jobs, and is very reliable, resulting in a high uptime. “Our operators discovered its speed and ease of use quickly after it was installed. The Truepress JET 520NX soon became the most-used machine at our premises in Kontich. It provides optimal value-for-money.”
Ter Haar adds: “Compared to other traditional players, SCREEN takes an atypical approach to maintenance. It uses monitoring software and a centralised European-based support crew, as opposed to national teams. This means we get support from highly skilful and experienced engineers with a quick response time, whenever we need support.”
Large volumes of variable data printing
Demand for printed bank statements and similar materials in Belgium remains strong, despite the fact that banks, insurers and other companies increasingly provide transactional information digitally through emails or access to their online platforms. “Yet Acto has seen demand grow consistently over the last few years, as Belgian banks and insurers have begun outsourcing printing and distribution of their mailings to print companies like ours,” says ter Haar.
Acto handles a wide range of print jobs, varying from high-volume transactional statements from some of Belgian’s biggest banks, to the printing of relatively small runs of salary slips for small- and medium-sized companies.
Ter Haar has been in the transactional printing sector for many years and has observed several other changes, varying from using pre-printed paper and adding a personal touch to high-quality inkjet printers that print beautifully coloured pictures. Also, the paper rolls have become larger and at this point, SCREEN’s inkjet printers are able to simultaneously handle various printing jobs and sort the output into distinct piles accordingly. “Enhanced efficiency and accuracy helps us reduce our environmental footprint,” adds ter Haar. “The machine’s water-based ink reduces the use of chemicals and increases our company sustainability profile.”
No need for human intervention
Thanks to its in-house IT-team and the interface it produced, digital distribution as well as print jobs are processed without the need for human intervention, enabling it to operate 24/7. Acto’s IT-team also builds tailor-made digital interfaces for clients who want to take their communications online.
Acto Print and Mail Services (transactional) together with The Mailing Factory (direct mail & periodicals) and the recently acquired Docufast (transactional) specialise in document distribution services. The companies have a yearly turnover of 25 million euros combined and employ 135 people. Production sites are in Kontich (near Antwerp) and Brussels. The companies are the result of a series of acquisitions since 2007 aiming market consolidation by its sole owner and CEO Philippe Massin.
