‘Litho not dead’ says ProCo

Print Solutions

ProCo, based in Sheffield, has become and latest high profile print business to invest in LED-UV SRA1 litho equipment from RMGT Ryobi. The Ryobi 925 LED-UV press has been purchased from Apex Digital Graphics, the official RMGT Ryobi press distributor for the UK in formats up to SRA1. The press is due for installation at the company in August of this year.

The RMGT Ryobi 925 is a five colour litho press for 8-up A4 format print production. An LED-UV curing unit is incorporated into the configuration for near instant drying of the sheet, enabling immediate back up or progression of the work to the finishing department. PDS-E SpectroDrive in line printing quality control enables the operator to monitor and maintain the quality of the printed sheet throughout the run.

Graeme Parry, production director at ProCo, said: ‘We were looking to bring in new technology that ran hand in hand with our clients’ needs of reduced delivery times, and these are aided by the high running speed and vastly reduced drying time that LED-UV brings. Litho is certainly not dead but we needed to explore how we can still offer it as a viable service and maintain it as a viable part of our business, and the new press will help us do that. The new machine will replace one of our two existing B2 presses, adding much needed extra capacity and firepower, as well as bringing all of the benefits associated with the LED-UV technology.’

He continued, ‘What first attracted us to the press was the combination of the SRA1 sheet size and access to LED-UV curing, along with the latest automation and press intelligence, all in a compact B2 footprint. Within the market there was not anything else that gave this amount of bang for your buck.’

With specific reference to the sheet size capability of the new machine, Graeme added: ‘The SRA1 sheet size will really change litho production at ProCo. Having the ability to run 8-up A4 on a single sheet means more productive running in comparison to our current B2 presses. It will naturally absorb the work we are producing currently whilst also adding much needed additional capacity. Having access to the bigger sheet size will mean a reduction in the amount of section work and that will make us more competitive in the market, and drive more volume through the press.’

‘There are a number of advantages that LED-UV offers, but the main driver was the reduced drying time that it brings,’ he continued. ‘To our clients, speed of turnaround is a major factor, and with LED-UV curing the sheet that lands in the delivery it is pretty much dry immediately, even on uncoated stock with heavy ink coverage. The positive effect of this is that our finishing department will be able to start work on the sheet straight away, where as previously there was an element of drying time. The end result is a quicker and better service to our customers.’

The configuration selected is a five colour version of the popular 920 Series: ‘From the analysis that we have conducted with customers, there is still a big demand to have access to spot colours running in conjunction with CMYK. Within our scope of work there is still a very real need for the use of specials, so it was a necessary part of the configuration of the press.