Konica Minolta installs UK's first AccurioJet 30000 at Hickling & Squires

Konica Minolta Business Solutions UK has completed the first UK installation of its new AccurioJet 30000 B2 inkjet press at Nottingham‑based print and communications provider, Hickling & Squires.

The investment is part of Hickling & Squires’ long‑term production print strategy, with the aim of enabling it to bridge the gap between litho and digital, expand its capacity for high‑quality short‑run work, and deliver greater flexibility and value to customers.

Hickling & Squires has undertaken a significant transformation of its production environment, retiring older litho equipment and restructuring its workflow around a more agile mix of technologies.

The AccurioJet 30000 sits within a diversified production setup at Hickling & Squires that includes wide‑format inkjet, flatbed, and reel‑to‑reel devices, as well as four Konica Minolta digital toner machines.

The new press provides a B2 platform capable of handling the ‘in‑between’ work that previously sat between litho and digital.

Speaking about the impact of the AccurioJet 30000, Hickling & Squires production director, Jamie Gilbert, says: “Customers are getting a better‑quality result, and we can now produce on a wider range of substrates, including plastics and fabrics, at a much bigger scale.”

To support the installation, Hickling & Squires constructed a dedicated 9m x 16m climate‑controlled production room, complete with air conditioning and humidity management, which was completed in five weeks.

According to Mark Bladon, major accounts sales specialist, Industrial Printing, at Konica Minolta Business Solutions UK, the installation reflects a wider shift in how print businesses are rebalancing their production mix.

Bladon says: “Jamie and the team needed to upgrade the litho equipment, but instead of simply replacing like‑for‑like, he recognised that a lot of his short‑run work needed litho‑level quality but with more flexibility.

“The AccurioJet 30000 delivers exactly that – a B2 inkjet platform that sits perfectly between litho and digital. It’s the first AccurioJet 30000 in the country, and it’s a fantastic showcase for what this technology can do.”

Hickling & Squires serves a wide range of sectors including education, hospitality, and leisure, producing applications such as booklets, menus, letterheads, and specialist short‑run work.

With the AccurioJet 30000 now in full production, Hickling & Squires plans to continue evolving its offering in line with customer demand.

Gilbert adds: “We always follow the trend – if we’re doing something regularly and it makes sense to bring it in‑house, we do it. Right now, the focus is on fine-tuning this new inkjet press and then we’ll keep building from there.”