Offset Printing
Statex Colourprint moves into H-UV Drying with Komori Perfector
Friday 14. July 2017 - Statex colourprint in Newcastle-upon-Tyne has just installed its first Komori, an eight colour B2 Lithrone S29P perfector with Komori H-UV drying, to replace a seven-year-old ten colour Heidelberg XL75-10-P.
The 23-year-old company also runs a B2 Heidelberg XL75-5-P and uses digital and large format production as well as offset to print brochures, catalogues, reports, personalised mailings, stationery and large format display material. It handles customer stock management and fulfilment, offers a full print project management service, carries ISO 12647-2 colour management accreditation and a growing list of environmental credentials.
Says Statex Joint Managing Director Graham Minett: “We needed to raise the bar in our offerings and turnaround times to clients and, at the same time, peg our maintenance costs and energy consumption. In the first place, what drew us to looking at the eight colour perfector at a UK South Coast installation was to check out the Komori H-UV curing system.”
“We quickly realised that in perfecting mode it provides even more significant benefits in production and design flexibility than when running it as a straight eight colour. In following up with trials at Komoris Utrecht demonstration centre, we tasked it with four of our own most testing jobs, including a paint card. H-UV lived up to all our specific expectations. The total changeover time to hit production speed on each of our jobs was less than 12 minutes and all of them were dry in the delivery. The performance of the colour management and quality control systems and Komoris whole understanding of our installation requirements are what finally clinched it for us. Its the complete package and the H-UV curing system takes us several steps forward from conventional printing.”
“On the perfector, it eliminates front/reverse layout limitations because the first H-UV drying unit is located before the sheet turns over, completely drying the sheets before the reverse side is printed. So we dont need to allocate any white space on the reverse side of the design for sheet transportation. This means that in some cases, we can use a smaller sheet size and we have no restrictions whatsoever in printing full out images on both sides, which in turn means weve complete freedom in deciding which is printed top side and which is the reverse. That not only simplifies imposition but also means we can print on more of the sheet.”
“We dont need to seal or coat the sheet to dry it, so the print has a more tactile feel, the result being that we can give our customers more with the eight units on the Lithrone S829P whether were running it four-over-four or as a straight eight colour than we could with the ten units on our previous press. Whats more, weve fewer units so we save on floor space and were completely eliminating spray powder and the use of alcohol, which is a welcome addition to our own green initiatives.”
“Were really concentrating on even higher environmental standards and a more sustainable future. We already recycle heat, paper, pallets and plates and have written our own Environmental Code of Practice. Green production and energy conservation is very important to us and to many of our customers, including the universities, educational and local government.”
Marketing Manager, Richard Barksby enthuses: “The new H-UV Komori has really created a new level of motivation across the whole company. On the shopfloor, which is cleaner and with no semi-dry stacks around; in finishing, where the sheets will always be completely dry when they arrive; in administration and scheduling, where the job printing times and data capture from the Komori Management system will be a revelation; in repro, where theres more imposition freedom on perfected jobs. Most of all, in sales – where weve now genuinely something innovative to offer – more design scope for our customers, a more attractive finish to the jobs and at our side, the confidence to accept more work with the tightest of deadlines and ensure delivery promises are met. The LS829P has generated a whole new marketing plan here at Statex which is immediately starting to bear fruit.”