LGP Moves to SRA1 and LED-UV with 16th Ryobi

LGP Print Limited, formerly known as Leeds Graphic Press, is to take delivery of its 16^th new Ryobi machine in November of this year. It will arrive in the shape of an SRA1-format RMGT 924 LED-UV press, and it will be accompanied by a Cron CtP system, with both items purchased from Apex Digital Graphics, Hemel Hempstead.

The four-colour version of Ryobi’s popular 920 Series boasts a maximum sheet size of 920 x 640mm, enabling eight-up A4 printing, as well as the ability to produce A1 size posters. The versatility of the press extends to stock thickness, with the 920 Series being capable of handling paper ranging from 0.04 mm onion-skin to heavy 0.6 mm card stock.

Commenting on the investment, LGP Print Managing Director Philip Stead, said: “For our previous press purchase back in 2007 we had taken the decision to move away from SRA3 and expand in format up to an SRA2 sheet size – it paid great dividends for us as a business. We had a similar decision to make again, and having weighed up the pro’s and con’s we have decided to once again move up to a larger sheet size in order to offer an even wider range of print services to our customer base.

“Coupling the larger sheet size with the LED-UV made an awful lot of sense to us – we will get dry to the touch sheets exiting the press, meaning that we can back up jobs immediately or send the work straight to the finishing department, with no waiting time. The technology also means that we will have few concerns about working with the ever wider range of challenging substrates that customers are now demanding – some of which can pose tricky drying issues with standard litho presses.”

The new press will provide additional pressroom firepower and will sit alongside the SRA2 format five-colour Ryobi 685 at the near 40-year-old Leeds printer. Five 52cm format presses will bring the Ryobi line-up at LGP to a total of seven machines – probably Europe’s largest Ryobi installation.

Philip Stead has been monitoring the development of LED drying since it was first shown by Ryobi back in 2008: “The technology had developed and matured in that time. It certainly has a significant role to play in the future of litho printing with customers providing every shorter lead times for an ever more colourful range of print requirements. Digital printing has given the customer the impression that any job can be produced almost instantly – no matter what quantity, finish, or substrate they might require. LED-UV does at least give litho printers the chance to meet those demands to a degree!”

LGP Print produces a wide range of commercial work with both digital and litho equipment from its Leeds base.

The LED-UV curing system was pioneered by Ryobi, with the company unveiling its first such product at Drupa in 2008. Developments in ink technology and manufacture have now caught up with the huge potential offered by LED-based UV drying equipment. LED-UV ink is now available from all major ink suppliers. This last couple of years has seen a growing commercial acceptance of LED-UV in the UK, where it will follow Japan and a number of European countries. The environmental benefits of the technology and the significant cost savings through reduced power consumption are the two outstanding benefits of the equipment. Adding LED-UV also eliminates the need for powder spray, and removes ozone from the process, and consequently means no extraction ducting is required– another significant cost element. The stunning productivity and quality of the process are self-evident when the system is viewed in action.

Commenting on the order for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales & Marketing Director for the company, said: “Having worked with Philip and LGP Print over many years, it has been a pleasure to have played a part in the growth and expansion of the business. Following the successful move to SRA2 back in 2007, we are now looking forward to seeing the company prosper further in the SRA1 market and especially with LED-UV.”

LED-UV curing systems are now commonplace for press orders being taken by Apex, with a host of installations now in action throughout the UK.

About Apex Digital Graphics 

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor for the RMGT range of printing presses through to SRA1 format and Cron metal-based platesetters. Apex also distributes the Konica Minolta range of digital printing equipment. The company offers 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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Hapa to Focus on Low-Migration Ink at InPrint

Swiss-based Hapa AG, the global leader of innovative packaging printing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, will focus its exhibit at the forthcoming InPrint show in Milan, taking place November 15^th to 17^th, on its speciality ink products.

The Swiss producer offers application-specific, one-stop services for individual ink development and production to ink migration testing.

Since its inception back in 2014 the InPrint exhibition has provided a unique point of focus for industrial printing, bringing this sector of the industry to the attention of a wider audience. Hapa is a strong supporter of the event, and is looking forward to meeting the many visitors expected at the show.

Stand C41 will present a focus on low-migration inks for drop-on-demand ink jet production. Other Hapa printing products will be shown in video form, and a redcube inkjet unit will be on the stand for live demonstration and sample production.

Low-Migration Ink Products for DOD

Hapa Ink, a division of the Swiss specialists for printed packaging solutions, addresses a key concern for the packaging world: the unwanted transfer of ink substances and taint from packaging to product. Customer-specific low-migration ink is formulated by Hapa Ink to suit substrate, application, and production risk-levels. The company can also offer a complete service to ensure compliance and security.

In the packaging sector, public health and safety have to be at the forefront. It must be guaranteed that no ink substances in excess of quantities designated and regulated as harmful, transfer onto pharmaceuticals, foods, and cosmetics. To this end, Hapa Ink develops low-migration, solvent-free UV drop-on-demand inks that mitigate the risk of diffusion and set-off migration. The inks are specialised to each customer’s substrates, application, and production processes. Any ink-quantity levels can be supplied, no matter how large or how small.

The development and production of inks is done in a single lab, where a team of specialists put years of practical experience to work on low-migration inks.

Combining extensive know-how of printing systems and technologies, industry regulations, and sub-regulations, Hapa Ink can fulfil orders for inks that meet EU food safety standards. All low-migration inks from Hapa Ink contain materials on the Nestlé Positive List.

Problematic Migration and Set-off

Hapa Ink’s low-migration series of inks are ideal for printing on plastics, carton, paper, or label materials. The use of low-migration inks alone, however, is not all there is to meeting regulations. “The risk of ink migration or set-off remains even when using low-migration inks,” says Mathias Theiler, Head of Hapa Ink. “It is paramount that each application be carefully tested.”

Often, clients feel abandoned to the ink and material acceptance process, as the option of testing and making adjustments to the inks of low-volume orders is not offered by the larger ink producers. This simply never happens at Hapa Ink. Following the analysis, evaluation, and testing of each ink and application, comes the department’s forte: the carrying out any necessary adjustments that ensure the required values of the relevant regulations are met.

Comprehensive Testing Process from a Single Source

The interaction between packaging and product are both product and process dependent. To detect the risk of migration, realistic tests are necessary.

Migjen Rrahimi, Head of Ink Development, supports a wholly integrated approach: “We conduct migration tests in cooperation with certified institutes and under real conditions. This means the ink, substrate, product, printing system, and polymerization process are all taken into account.” Hapa Ink tests each component in a continuous process until the optimal results are reached. Thanks to this meticulous attention to details, the customer can rely on individualized inks being in compliance with the regulatory limits.

Highest Print Quality and White Opacity

Whether CMYK, white, or spot-colours, inks from Hapa Ink deliver the highest printing quality for a virtually unlimited range of applications. The inks meet cover requirements in a single pass of printing.

The UV DOD, low-migration Hapa Ink “Enserra” is applicable for various print heads from Konica Minolta (KM 512, KM 1024, KM 1024i, KM 1800i), Xaar (1001, 1002), and Kyocera (KJ4). Hapa Ink 27, a UV flexo ink, is also to found in the low-migration portfolio. Hapa Ink provides customers with more than individually designed products: the team is prepared to develop new inks to meet particular demands.

About Hapa and Hapa Ink

Hapa’s on-demand and late-stage-customization printing solutions improve lean production. It’s UV flexographic, UV DOD inkjet, and hybrid printing systems have long established Hapa as the global leader of in-house packaging-print solutions in the pharmaceutical industry.

Growth in the cosmetics, food, medical, and ink industries is dynamic. Hapa Ink is a department of Hapa. It develops, produces, and delivers individualized inks that are printing on plastic, aluminium, glass, and labelling materials of types.

The growth of the Hapa Ink division, and its expansion into the FMCG industries is dynamic. More than 170 Hapa employees work at the company headquarters near Zurich, Switzerland, and in sales and service centres worldwide.

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