Bluetree boosts output with new PLASTGrommet solution

Online print company, Bluetree Group, has expanded its wide-format finishing capabilities with a second investment in banner and textile finishing automation via manufacturer, PLASTGrommet.

The group previously invested in an Evolve Air Welder from PLASTGrommet’s UK distributor, Atech, in 2024, with installation and local support provided by Allan Ashman, Atech’s managing director and owner.

Bluetree has now purchased a PLASTGrommet Hybrid TexWiz, an integrated banner finishing solution with the dual finishing option of both welding and sewing, in order to boost its wide-format output. The new machine is expected to be delivered and installed in the third quarter of 2025.

Bluetree sells a range of wide-format products including posters, roller banners, signage, flags, and outdoor banners through its brands including instantprint and Route 1 Print.  

PLASTGrommet’s finishing technology utilises its automated All In One platform, which combines hem welding, eyeletting, and cutting into a single process.

The newly launched TexWiz, which was unveiled at this year’s FESPA Global Print Expo, expands on these capabilities, enabling automated sewing of hems along with eyeletting and cutting of air mesh fabric banners.

The new technology allows users to automate the production of textile-based products by integrating hem sewing with tape into their automated banner finishing workflow.

Through the use of polyester reinforcement tape for hemming fabric and PLASTGrommet’s proprietary clear recyclable eyelets, polyester banners can now also be fully recycled after use without any need to separate the eyelets and tape, making for easier banner recycling.

Speaking of the new PLASTGrommet technology, Mark Young, co-founder of Bluetree Group, says: “We’re really excited about this because it will give us a huge step forward in productivity, allowing us to produce banners faster than ever.

“The ability to run straight from a printed roll to an almost finished banner at the speed that it can run is a massive step forward for us. Automation is critical as the large-format products are difficult to finish and require a lot of manual handling, so the process can be labour intensive. Wherever we can find efficiencies or gains, we need to, in order to keep our edge.”

Young praises both PLASTGrommet’s equipment and the local support provided by Atech, saying: “There are a lot of options in the market, but the PLASTGrommet kit is well built, well supported, and extremely productive.

“PLASTGrommet are really easy to talk to and even though they’re in Spain, we have coordinated testing of material and samples over the last few weeks. We’re really excited to continue our partnership into the future and the whole team has been fantastic.”

Rafa Menéndez, head of marketing and sales at PLASTGrommet, adds: “For large-format print businesses, finishing can often be an overlooked bottleneck.

“But you’re only as fast as your slowest point, which is why strategic investment in finishing automation is now no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it is a necessity to remain competitive.”