Summit Print Upgrades Ryobi B2 and Expands

Summit Print Ltd, Redhill, Surrey, has announced details of a £1 million investment programme, which includes a B2 press upgrade, along with a move to new, larger, freehold premises. The press upgrade, the company’s eighth Ryobi press purchase, replaces an existing Ryobi 784E machine with a new five-colour Ryobi 750 Series machine.

The new five-colour B2-format Ryobi press will provide Summit Print with the ability to add a sealer in-line, providing a faster turnaround for work, with jobs able to move through to guillotining and folding almost as soon as they are printed. “The 755 is also offers more automation than the 784E machine, with high pile delivery and a pallet feeder, which means that we are better equipped to cope with the longer run lengths that we are now being asked to produce,” said Neil Parsons, Managing Director of Summit Print.

“The Ryobi 784E was great for what we needed at the time. Most importantly it had a compact footprint. We were able to squeeze that machine in to our former premises, giving us the move up to B2 without having to expand the business too quickly. Having located the right business premises, the time was right to make further investments in our printing equipment and move on to the Ryobi 755. Our new Redhill site gives us 10,000 sq ft of floor space in a more modern building – that’s about a third more space than our previous Dorking facility. It’s a freehold purchase as well, which we believe will set solid foundations for future growth,” said Neil Parsons. Other recent investments at Summit Print have also included a new fully automated folding machine.

The continued expansion at Summit Print has led to an extension to the working day, with printing now taking place over an 18-hour day, up from 12-hours, and a weekend shift now being added as well, providing an additional 2 x 12-hour days.

The Ryobi 750 Series is a B2 format press capable of printing up to 15,000 sheets per hour on stock thicknesses of up to 0.6mm as standard. The press incorporates semi-automatic plate changing; IVS ink volume setter software, which takes ink profile data from the digital front-end; PDS print density control; program inking; plate register remote control; and automated wash-ups.

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, sales and managing director Neil Handforth said: “Summit Print offered the ideal scenario for the Ryobi 784E – a business that wanted to move up to B2, but that was restricted in terms of available space. We are, of course, delighted that its move into B2 has proved to be very successful and profitable, to the point where it is now able to expand to larger premises, and re-invest in the company’s eighth Ryobi machine in the shape of the Ryobi 750 Series.”

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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Benson Group Wins Cartonboard Packaging Award

In addition to the “Packaging Company of Year” award, Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, also carried off the “Cartonboard Packaging Award” at the recent 2008 UK Packaging Awards. The winning entry was packaging for the Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference” Fudge Range.

The Sainsbury web site sums up the “Taste the Difference” range as follows: “Sainsbury’s Taste the difference range has always been about quality ingredients, authentic products and, most of all, fabulous taste. It’s our mission to make sure that every single product in the Taste the difference range is as good as it gets.” Benson Group believes that the packaging supplied for the “Taste the Difference” Fudge products should also come under the heading “as good as it gets”, and the judges for the 2008 UK Packaging Awards certainly seemed to agree.

Combining a contemporary flat-matt look with a new type of aqueous coating Benson Group has achieved a soft-to-the-touch feel to the carton. The overall tactile effect comes from the unique materials in the formulation, and the unusual friction characteristics they impart.

Reviewing the award win, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “As is often the case, the finished product incorporates input from a number of different sources, with Benson Group managing the whole production process. This particular product incorporates the striking design work of Parker Williams Design, technical input from Sun Chemical, and our own expertise in printing, cutting, creasing and gluing. The end result delighted the customer, and, I am pleased to say, also the awards judges.

“Whilst, from a business perspective, winning the ultimate prize of “Packaging Company of the Year” was a tremendous accolade for Benson Group and its performance over recent years, to add this quality-focused award as well was a great triumph for our production team.”

Commenting on the design work for the pack, Parker Williams’ co-founder Tamara Williams, said: “We wanted to use the graphics on the carton to enhance the beautiful structural shape created by the “lid” both when it is closed, with the jewel like colours showing through, and as it opens to reveal the full intensity of colour and the treat of the fudge inside. The luxurious feel of the soft touch ink, as you pick up the pack, suggests the smoothness of the fudge itself and the graphic flourish makes it suitable for all year round treats and gifting.”

Tony Palmer, Packaging Director, Sun Chemical, added his thoughts with regard to the coating: “As the key supplier of inks and coatings we have specifically developed “soft touch” to give a tactile enhancement as well as providing a practical coating to be used on press.”

Technical Details

Graphic design: Parker Williams Design

Origination: Computer-to-plate on Fuji LH-PJE positive, non-baked plates

Screening: 175 line, 2,400 dpi

Inks: Sun Chemical Hi-speed Ultra-violet curing inks

Printing: Printed offset-litho on a ROLAND 700 6-colour press with chambered-anilox coater unit, cartons were produced with UV-based 4-colour process and two spot colours.

Coating: The Sun Chemical soft-touch coating was applied in-line via a Cyrel plate. The coating was applied using a new type of opal-pattern roller. From this Benson achieved a smooth, even coating which imparts an ultra-matt finish (2-3 gloss, read using a 60° gloss meter). The resultant feel is similar to matt laminate or “natural rubber”.

Cutting & Creasing: Bobst 104ER

Gluing: Jagenberg Diana 115-3 (Tapered crash-lock)

About Benson Group

Benson Group, Packaging Company of the Year 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company employs in some 800 personnel across four sites.

Headquartered are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space, Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £85 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavor, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

About Sun Chemical

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC Group, is the world’s largest producer of printing inks and pigments and a leading provider of materials to packaging, publication, coatings, plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial markets. With annual sales over $4 billion, Sun Chemical has over 11,000 employees supporting customers around the world. The Sun Chemical Group of companies includes such established names as Coates, Hartmann, Kohl & Madden, and US Ink.

Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group B.V., the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.A. For more information, please visit our web site at www.sunchemical.com

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StudioRIP Announces New Version 3.0 Software

UK-based independent software RIP provider StudioRIP UK Limited, Leighton Buzzard, has announced the release of Version 3.0 of its StudioRIP product, which features production speeds comparable with market leaders at a fraction of the cost. The product was released on November 3^rd, 2008.

StudioRIP is a software RIP compatible with PostScript Level 3 and PDF 1.6, and is designed for high performance imaging tasks, making it suitable for interfacing to a wide range of computer-to-plate systems, imagesetters, inkjet and laser printers.

Pre-press experts who would like to examine and test the performance and features of StudioRIP can download a free “demo” system of Version 3.0 by visiting the www.studiorip.co.uk web site.

One of the most exciting and unique features of the product is that it can be configured around a user’s needs, with the optional inclusion of post-RIP imposition, in-RIP trapping, ink duct control software, second order stochastic screening (hybrid AM screening included as standard), TIFF output, multiple print engine output, and digital proofing output. StudioRIP Client software can provide for remote operation of all RIP functions from any PC or Mac workstation.

“This latest release combines all of our recent development work, and delivers a product that performs to the highest of specifications,” said Paul Newman, Technical Director of StudioRIP UK.

StudioRIP 3.0 also includes a flexographic option, which is capable of providing 37.5 degree angles, flexo dot, dot gain, and dispro compensations. The software also provides a seamless option for flexographic plate production.

Why Does the World Need Another RIP?

Originally designed as a low cost solution to meet the needs of the second-hand imagesetter market, StudioRIP has grown to become a highly suitable alternative to mainstream RIP products for most output requirements, including computer-to-plate, all formats of imagesetter, inkjet and laser printers. Still a cost effective product, StudioRIP also offers highly productive throughput comparable with all of the competition.

One significant advantage offered by StudioRIP over the majority of competing software RIP products is the ability to include many workflow operations within the RIP architecture. Functions such as imposition and trapping can be included within StudioRIP, rather than users having to purchase separate software packages, usually at significant extra cost. StudioRIP is also “flexo friendly” with flexographic screening, distortion, and imposition features optionally available.

StudioRIP’s “Smart Screening” offers customers the very latest in hybrid screening techniques – again, without the need to buy highly priced “extra’s”. Features of the AM screening package include user selectable screen angles, and smooth gradients via the combination of 4,096 shades of grey and low pass filtering.

StudioRIP is available in the UK via a dealer network, with end user pricing starting at just £460 for the StudioRIP IE 14 inch edition and rising to £6,400 for the full StudioRIP Workflow Package.

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Double Awards Triumph for Benson Group

Packaging specialist Benson Group, Bardon, Leicestershire, is celebrating its success at the prestigious 2008 UK Packaging Awards, where it won both the “Packaging Company of the Year” and the “Cartonboard Packaging Award”.

The awards event, hosted by leading UK industry magazine Packaging News, took place at a special awards night on November 3^rd at Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane, where some 300 people from the UK packaging industry were in attendance. The awards were presented by BBC TV and Radio broadcaster John Inverdale.

Commenting on the double victory, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, which specialises in the production of food and pharmaceutical cardboard packaging products, said: “Naturally we are delighted to have been selected as both the “Packaging Company of the Year” and the top “Cartonboard Packaging” provider. This is a tremendous achievement for us as a business, and for all of our employees at our four UK production centres, in Leicestershire, Newcastle, Gateshead and Crewe. I am quite sure that news of these awards will also be well received by our many customers in both the food and pharmaceutical sectors.”

Adding his thoughts on a great night for the company, Chairman Andrew Benson said: “This is a splendid achievement for Mark and the rest of the team. Benson Group has enjoyed unparalleled growth since 2002, when the business had an £11 million turnover. This year, the company expects turnover to have reached £85 million, which has been achieved through both organic growth and astute acquisition. This fantastic performance has been due to a highly professional management team, with a vision for what we needed to become as a business, and a great set of employees on the production floor.”

One area of significant success for the company during 2008 has been in exporting product to Europe. Benson Group has been busy shipping carton product to virtually every major European market, with production efficiencies as well as the current exchange rate benefits being cited as major factors for winning this new business.

The selection panel judging the quality-focused “Cartonboard Packaging Award” finalists were presented with Benson Group’s work on the Sainsbury’s “Taste the Difference” Fudge range, whilst the “Packaging Company of the Year” winner and finalists were selected on overall recent business performance as well as a selection of carton samples.

The company had already been judged an awards finalist earlier this year in the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Excellence Awards, and also received a Commendation and second place in the recent PrintWeek Awards “Printing Company of the Year” category. Both of these awards were open to printers from all disciplines, and whilst Benson Group just missed out on the top prize on both occasions, its selection within the short-lists emphasised the huge strides that the company has made in recent years. “Whilst we didn’t get the top prize in those awards, we can at least claim to have been the top packaging company in both of them,” said Mark Kerridge.

About the Benson Group

The Benson Group is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries. The company employs 800 personnel across four sites.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space, Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £85 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavor, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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New Press, New CtP and New Premises for Wotton

Wotton Printers has announced its “all change” at Newton Abbot, Devon! The company has invested in new, freehold premises; a new Ryobi 525GX with IR dryer; and new computer-to-plate technology in the form of a Screen 4300 processless system.

The new five-colour landscape B3-format Ryobi press replaces a Ryobi 524HXX, and joins an existing 522HE-NP with numbering and perforating capabilities. The new addition is the fourth press that the company has purchased from Apex Digital Graphics, the Hemel Hempstead based Ryobi distributor for the UK.

“The addition of the fifth colour, in conjunction with the IR dryer, means that we can seal work in-line, so that it is virtually dry to the touch when it comes off the press. That means that we can speed work through to the finishing department, and out to the customer. That is what the market is demanding, and that is what we are now able to provide,” said Roger Mann, Managing Director of Wotton Printers. The company had previously been adding a sealer off-line, having printed the work on the four-colour Ryobi.

With regard to the move to new premises, Roger said: “We had been searching for the right building for about two years. Our lease was coming to an end, and we were keen to obtain a freehold property that would offer us some additional space in order that we could continue to expand the business. Our production area at the new site is some 50% bigger, and we have significantly more office space. It’s ideal.” The company has been at the new facility for some four weeks now.

Wotton Printers was also keen to expand on its environmental approach to printing, and the purchase of the new Screen 4300 CtP system was seen as an ideal way to further push its “green” credentials. “The 4300 offers us processless plate production, meaning that we can do away with the chemistry. We have also switched over to vegetable oil based inks on the press, and run the new machine alongside a Technotrans unit to assist us in running alcohol free on the 525GX as well,” added Roger Mann.

Ryobi 525GX

Ease of operation on the Ryobi 525GX is enhanced by the use of the Ryobi Printing Control System, PCS-H – which is provided as standard. Colour adjustments, dampening supply, and registration adjustments can all be made by the operator at the control desk using the touch sensitive LCD display. The operator can also input paper size and thickness via the screen to set the impression pressure and pull side guide to the optimal position.

An advanced version of Program Inking is also built into the PCS-H, automatically setting the conversion curve for each colour according to image area ratio. The Print Density Control system PDS-E uses a densitometer to measure the colour bar on a printed sheet, and feed corrective data back to the press via PCS-H for totally consistent print production. CIP3 and CIP4 data is loading into the machine from pre-press via the Ink Volume Setter software.

The maximum paper size that can be handled by the Ryobi GX Series is 520 x 375mm, whilst the machines will take sheets as small as 100 x 105mm. The press will handle sheet thicknesses from 0.04mm through to 0.6mm, and will print at up to 15,000 sheets per hour.

Commenting on the additional capabilities of the new press, Roger Mann said: “The ability to move up to 0.6mm stock is of great interest to some of our customers. We produce packaging work for one client who is very enthused about the new capabilities of our 525GX machine, and is likely to be placing more work with us because of that ability to handle heavier weight stocks. The increase in production speed to 15,000 sheets per hour will also be a great benefit for all of our customers.”

Commenting on the installation for Apex Digital Graphics, Sales and Marketing Director, Neil Handforth, said: “We are always delighted when long term customers continue to grow and re-invest in new Ryobi equipment, and new CtP equipment from Apex. The further investment in new premises illustrates that Wotton Printers is a company that has grown very successfully in recent years, due in part, we are sure, to the quality of printing provided by its Ryobi machinery.”

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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A Bit Off the Wall at Black Dog

Black Dog Digital Limited, Hertford, is opening up new markets by offering bespoke wallpaper production with the help of its Xeikon 5000 digital colour printing system. Because the Xeikon is not limited in the length of print that it can produce, full 10 metre rolls can be printed, and this has enabled Black Dog to provide a range of unique wallpapers and wall murals for specialist designers.

Steve Winn, Digital Director at Black Dog, commenting on this new area of business for the company, said: “We have been working on samples and researching the potential for this market for over a year, and have been delighted with the amount of business that we have now started to generate. Some of the specialist designers had been sending their files outside of the UK to get their work produced, whilst others were still relying on more traditional wallpaper production methods. These, of course, were proving expensive for small quantities. One customer came to us having been quoted a £5,000 set-up charge by a traditional wallpaper production centre – and that is without actually running the job! Much to his delight, we were able to handle the whole job for just £2,000.”

The wallpaper venture has necessitated Black Dog making contact with a whole new range of customers. “These people are not the typical print buyers. They tend to be very specialised in wallpaper and interior design. It’s a pretty small community, and they all know each other, so word of mouth spreads quickly, and that is a real bonus if you have something good, cost-effective and different for the market. We have also attended a couple of specialist trade shows this year to promote this service, and received plenty of interest.”

After initial discussions, Black Dog will produce a one metre sample for the potential customer in order for them to see their pattern on a real print. “Some will also want to visit us while we run the first batch of product, which is fine,” adds Steve Winn. “They are usually pretty amazed at the speed and efficiency of our Xeikon unit, and typically they leave delighted with their latest design on a roll tucked underneath their arm. Because of our in-depth knowledge of the Xeikon machine, we can tweak the system to provide a glossy or matt finish to the wallpaper.” Black Dog has added Xeikon’s special trimming devices to cut the wallpaper to width as it leaves the machine. Length is entirely dependent on the requirements of the customer, and standard wallpaper roll lengths of 10 metres present no problem for the Xeikon. “Sometimes the design of the print, if it’s a mural; or the demands of the building to be decorated, require longer prints than that – we did once produce a 65 metre drop for a hall/stairs/landing decorating task.

“Customers have certainly been impressed by the quality of image that we are able to produce on the Xeikon, and the consistency of product that we can produce – both essentials for this market, of course.”

Whilst Black Dog’s Xeikon 5000 does not produce standard wallpaper width of 520mm, this is not really a major issue, as British walls are also rarely a standard width! “Some people initially see this as a problem,” said Steve Winn. “But actually, when they think about it, it really doesn’t make any difference at all.

“I suppose that there is some potential competition from inkjet in this area, but that tends to produce a larger size of image, which can be very difficult to mount, and also suffers from the solvent issue – the odour is a major problem for many of the people that we have spoken with. Because we are producing in individual rolls, we have a distinct advantage in mural production. We number the rolls as they are produced so that the decorator knows which order they need to be pasted, but if something goes wrong and a roll gets damaged, all they have to do is phone us and tell us which roll number they need a reprint of.”

Black Dog’s wallpaper customer base already includes some of the UK’s leading designers, such as Tracey Kendall (www.tracykendall.com) and Yukari Sweeney (www.yukarisweeneydesign.co.uk). One significant benefit that such designers claim is that they can order their products as required, rather than having to hold even modest stocks of their wallpapers. Black Dog expects to turn all orders around within three working days.

Commenting on the service provided by Black Dog, Tracy Kendall said: “Black Dog is able to print the wallpapers that I want. My colours are always crisp, clean, and the colour I expect to see. For me they seem to be the only people that understand “black” and the printing of black as part of my designs. They are incredibly fast with their turnaround of work; it is done and delivered without any fuss or bother. And, most importantly of course, my clients love the end results. They want to cover their walls in my digitally printed wallpapers. For me it is a great marriage of design, service and digital technology.”

The company is still discovering new markets for this service. “One very specialised wallpaper designer came to us recently for a short run of product. He then took our printed work and added gold leaf to the paper by hand. I couldn’t imagine what he charges for this, or how small the market is!” said Steve Winn. The company also recently produced a series of murals for executive lounges at York Racecourse. The market continues to expand for the company as well, with an order expected soon for 250 rolls.

The FSC Certified wallpaper material in use at Black Dog is a standard wallpaper substrate, and as per the current market trend, is a “paste the wall” product. “This does mean that we have had to create our own set-up files for the Xeikon, as it is not a standard substrate, but we are experienced enough for this not to be a major issue,” added Steve Winn.

The Hertford based business employs 14 personnel in total, with six in the digital side of the operation.

Xeikon 5000

The Xeikon 5000 at Black Dog has all the features that have become Xeikon’s trademark: true One-Pass-Duplex™, high-quality digital imagine, a substrate width of 500 mm combined with virtually unlimited sheet length, and the capability to print onto a wide variety of substrates.

The Xeikon 5000 is integrated its own digital front-end, the X-800, which delivers an impressive toolbox enabling faster and better integration of applications and equipment into a seamless workflow thanks to the implementation of open standards. X-800 processes PostScript, PDF, PPML and PPML/VDX files at high speed and is also designed to support JDF-based digital printing job tickets.

Being web-fed, the Xeikon 5000 is intrinsically fast: it can print multi-page documents at a speed of 7,800 full-colour pages per hour (130 A4 pages per minute).

For further information on Black Dog please call 01920 466 775, or visit the www.blackdogltd.com web site.

SRA1 for the Price of a B2 Press: New Ryobi 920

UK Ryobi distributor Apex Digital Graphics, Hemel Hempstead, has announced details of a new SRA1 version of Ryobi’s 920 Series press that has been developed specifically for the European market.

Originally designed for Chinese printers, the Ryobi 920 came into being as an A1 format press, and the basic architecture of the machine has enjoyed some 10 years of development. The new SRA1 version of the machine is available for order now, and can be configured with up to six printing units and an in-line coater.

“With the help of European distributors, Ryobi has been able to adjust the specification of this machine to incorporate an SRA1 format, which makes it of significantly more interest to the European market,” said Bob Usher, Joint Managing Director of Apex Digital Graphics. “Currently printers looking at larger formats tend to look at the B1 press arena, even if they are only regularly printing eight-up A4. It’s overkill! At B1 they would be running a larger, more expensive press, using oversize plates, and often oversize substrates. This new version of the Ryobi 920 Series offers printers the ideal solution for such a straightforward workload, providing them with a far more economical printing solution, and a significantly greener option when examining the potential savings on power consumption, plate and paper waste.”

Ryobi released its own B1 press earlier this year at Drupa, though shipments of the Ryobi 1050 are not expected to begin until Q1/Q2 of 2009.

“The release of the Ryobi 920 is certainly not a stop-gap until the B1 arrives. We believe that it opens up a whole new sector for Ryobi, and with cost-savings high on everyone’s agenda right now, it seems to be the ideal machine for printers seeking an effective solution for 900 x 640mm printing,” adds Mr Usher.

Savings begin with the size of the press itself, with a 65% space reduction compared with a typical B1 machine – floor space can often represent the forgotten cost of installing a new machine. However, it really is with regard to plates when potential cost savings can start to make the £ signs shine brightly! Taking an average £10.00 per square metre for UK plate pricing, the 910 x 665mm plate size of the Ryobi 920 compared to a B1 format plate measuring 1060 x 800mm can potentially save a printer nearly 30% per plate, or £2.43 in real money.

To put those figures into sharper focus, we might assume that we are running four printing units, and our imaginary printer is producing perhaps ten four-colour jobs per day, on standard day shifts for a five day week. That already adds up to a £486 saving on plate material in one working week; around £2,000 per month; or over £24,000 during a 50 week year.

Shifting focus to power consumption, the Ryobi will consume 45kW per hour, whilst a typical B1 machine might expect to draw 72 kW per hour – another saving in favour of the Ryobi 920 over a typical eight hour day of some 216kW hours. With current commercial electricity pricing for daytime working circa 9p per kW hour. That would equate to a saving for users of the Ryobi machine in the region of £100 per five day week, or in excess of £5,000 per year.

“Add the potential savings on paper into that equation and you have a fairly significant total, and in tough economic times, such as those being experienced right now, these are the sort of cost reductions that are not only good news for the printer, but can make all the difference between him winning new work or not,” adds Bob Usher.

Specification for the machine is similar to the popular Ryobi 750 Series B2-format presses, including automatic blanket and roller washes, semi-automatic plate loading, hickey picker, Ryobi’s printing control system including ink volume setter, program inking, and Ryobi’s 7 o’clock cylinder layout. “The press is also based on the same architecture as the Ryobi 750 Series, which means a significant saving on floor-space against a typical B1 press. That is reflected in a highly competitive price, so you might say that the Ryobi 920 is SRA1 printing for the price of a B2 press!” said Mr Usher.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, Screen metal plate CtP systems, and the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

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