The challenge
Clays prints for the UK’s biggest publishers from a single site in Bungay, Suffolk. Its mix — long-run bestsellers alongside a fast-growing tail of shorter runs — punishes any press that loses time to make-ready. Every plate change on a conventional press is capacity surrendered.
The solution
Two Timsons ZMR (Zero Make-Ready) presses, with a Royal-size press to follow in early 2027 and a further B-format machine in late 2027. The ZMR’s twin over-and-under print units let operators change plates while the press runs at full speed — converting make-ready hours directly into production, with fewer than 30 copies of waste per changeover.
Why Timsons
“Our continued investment in partnership with Timsons reflects our long-term commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and supporting the evolving needs of the publishing industry,” said Ian Smith, deputy managing director at Clays.
The presses are built at the Kettering works — castings from the on-site foundry, machined and assembled by the same team that has supported Clays’ Timson presses for decades.
