Inkjet & Digital Printing

Growing ambitions in Europe: Pulmen invests in second digital press SCREEN Truepress Jet 520HD+

Friday 18. March 2022 - Producciones Digitales Pulmen has installed two SCREEN Truepress 520HD+ printing systems in just two years. The company has also purchased SCREENs EQUIOS PT-R software to establish a common workflow for all its printing systems.

Since installing the two Truepress presses, the Spanish printer’s turnover has increased by more than 60%
In June 2019, Pulmen had purchased its first Truepress 520HD+ to replace seven smaller toner-based printing systems. “Given the impressive results we achieved immediately after commissioning our first Truepress, we quickly considered purchasing a second press. With an increase in turnover of more than 60%, we are now in a position to offer our customers a truly optimal service even during the peak season,” says CEO Fernando García Rodríguez, who runs the company together with María Ángeles García (CFO) and María Ángeles Soria García (HR Manager).
With the two Truepress 520HD+ systems, Pulmen can produce more than 2.5 million books a year, with runs of up to 2,500 copies proving lucrative. “The current market trend is clearly towards shorter to medium book runs of up to 2,000 copies. This is where inkjet printing technology comes into play – with a previously unimagined range of possibilities.”
Rodríguez continues: “We chose a Truepress again because it allows us to combine the quality of conventional printing processes with the speed and flexibility of digital printing. The Truepress 520HD+ offers a maximum resolution of 1,200 dpi with a droplet size of 2 picolitres. There is no difference in quality between long and short runs – and all without manual intervention for quality assurance.”
“Thanks to SCREEN’s innovative SC inks and the experience of our team, we can print on all types of paper without pre-treatment. The Truepress offers a print quality comparable to analogue presses. It also reduces our carbon footprint through lower energy and chemical consumption.”
With the two 520HD+ production lines achieving throughputs of up to 150 metres/minute, Pulmen has been able to significantly reduce its turnaround and delivery times. Added to this is the automation of the rest of the process – from the input of order data to the delivery of the finished product: “This enables us to react quickly and flexibly to our customers’ individual wishes. Thanks to the speed of the Truepress 520 HD+, we can go for ‘virtual stockpiling’, so to speak, without having to print large runs in advance.”
Pulmen had already introduced SCREEN’s EQUIOS PT-R software in 2020 to control all its presses together. “Thanks to EQUIOS PT-R, our prepress team can set up twice as many print jobs per day. Our customers’ print files only need to be ripped once – a huge time-saver, especially when reprinting previous jobs.”
After making great strides in the digital publishing market in Spain, Pulmen is now looking to expand across Europe, according to Fernando García Rodríguez. “We are convinced that we can double our turnover with these two presses and some further investments. We will remain true to our specialisation in printing textbooks, while also expanding into literature and packaging.”