Fontain Quadruples Capacity with Ryobi LED-UV

London-based print business Fontain has revealed that its latest investment has quadrupled its litho printing capacity. The RMGT Ryobi 928 LED-UV eight-colour perfector is now installed and in production at the company’s SE16 premises, having been purchased through UK distributor Apex Digital Graphics.

Commenting on the new addition, Huw Harcombe, Director at Fontain (above, centre) said: “We had been following the development of LED-UV presses for some time, and had viewed the RMGT product on a number of occasions. Seeing the eight colour in action at last year’s IPEX show sealed the deal for us. Now that it is installed and running I have to say that the incredible productivity of the machine has confirmed our expectations.”

The RMGT SRA1 4/4 perfector press has replaced a five-colour Heidelberg XL75 B2-format machine configured to perfect 2/3. Fontain runs a 24 hour / five day shift pattern, producing a wide range of commercial print, but with a strong focus on full-colour brochures and booklets.

“Because we are now able to print 16-page A4 sections, and dry the print as it is produced, the press has speeded up overall production as well as giving us more printing capacity,” added Huw.

LED-UV curing units incorporated into the press configuration provide for near instant drying of the sheet, enabling immediate progression of the work to the finishing department. The press has also been equipped with technotrans ink.line systems to maximise efficiency of ink management.

Apex has also fitted a Lithec colour management system to the press. “In operation it’s basically very similar to a leading competitors colour management solution, but at a significantly lower price.” The Lithec colour management system integrates with RMGT’s PDS-E SpectroDrive inline printing quality control enabling the operator to monitor and maintain the quality of the printed sheet throughout the run.

Fontain reviewed LED-UV supplies from different companies before settling on Toyo inks and chemistry. “They have had more experience with LED-UV and we found that their inks provided a better combination with the press,” explained Huw.

In addition to litho printing the 30+ team at Fontain also produce digital print using HP Indigo, Ricoh, Océ, and Canon equipment.

Commenting on yet another LED-UV order for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales & Marketing Director for the company, said: “It is highly significant that an increasing number of the UK’s leading exponents of digital and litho are turning to RMGT Ryobi LED-UV presses, combining the immediacy and cleanliness of digital with the quality of litho printing, across a massive stock range, and at high speeds. Add into that low power consumption of both the dryer and the press and it is very much a win-win decision.”

With regard to the Lithec colour management system, Neil Handforth added: “This is the first Lithec unit that we have installed. It provides for complete image control on the press for guaranteed optimum results. The system provides measurement and control of spectral, LAB and density values, as well as grey balance on an LAB-basis. It integrates very well with RMGT’s PDS-E SpectroDrive inline printing quality control.”

Press Detail

RMGT’s increasingly popular 920 Series features a maximum paper size of 920 x 640 mm, enabling the eight-up printing of A4 size pages (16-page sections when perfecting), as well as 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 (0.4 mm on a perfecting press).

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 manufactured in Europe and is available from most major ink suppliers. The last three years or so have seen a growing commercial acceptance of LED-UV in the UK and Europe, following on from widespread success in Japan. Apex has now installed more than 20 LED-UV presses in the UK. The environmental benefits of the technology and the significant cost savings through reduced power consumption are but two of the outstanding benefits of the equipment. Adding LED-UV also eliminates the need for powder spray, and as no ozone is produced in the curing process there is no requirement for extraction ducting. The productivity and stunning quality (particularly on uncoated stocks) of the technology are self-evident when the system is viewed in action.

ENDS

 

Northend Creative Latest to Add Ryobi LED-UV

Northend Creative Print Solutions, Sheffield, a company that is celebrating 128 years in the industry this year, has become the latest in an ever growing line of the UK’s top printers to invest in RMGT Ryobi LED-UV litho printing equipment.

The RMGT Ryobi 925 LED-UV is joined by a Cron 3632UVP platesetter, and has replaced two existing Heidelberg B2 presses – a CD74-4 and an XL75-5. The new press is now installed and operator training is underway and progressing well.

Commenting on the purchase decision Nigel Stubley, Northend Managing Director (pictured above), said: “We visited last years Drupa exhibition with the aim of finding the right B2 digital press, to join our existing SRA3 digital presses, but the efficiencies and productivity of the Ryobi 920 with LED-UV has taken litho printing to a new level. The return on capital of this equipment means that SRA1 litho with UV curing is the most cost effective way forward for our business right now.”

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 inline printing quality control enables the operator to monitor and maintain the quality of the printed sheet throughout the run.  The press has also been equipped with technotrans ink.line systems to aid the efficient use of ink.

“Our calculations suggested that this new machine would be more productive than our two existing B2 presses due to the SRA1 format, the printing speed, the latest make-ready capabilities, and, most of all, because of the instant drying provided by the LED-UV curing. We were able to visit the team at Precision Printing to see the Ryobi machines in operation. They had recently undergone the same investigations, and they had produced similar calculations prior to their purchase decision, which was very reassuring.”

The configuration selected is a five-colour version of the popular 920 Series: “The run lengths that we normally encounter don’t justify a perfecting solution, but much of our work does require the addition of a fifth colour,” confirmed Nigel Stubley.

For plate origination, Northend has opted for the Cron 3632, a UV computer-to-plate system offering a high quality, affordable solution, capable of imaging plates at up to 2,800dpi in sizes of up to 925 x 675mm.

Commenting on yet another order for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales & Marketing Director for the company, said: “It is highly significant that an increasing number of the UK’s leading exponents of digital and litho are turning to Ryobi LED-UV presses combining the immediacy and cleanliness of digital with the quality of litho printing, across a massive stock range, and at high speeds. Add into that low power consumption and it is very much a win-win decision.”

Press Detail

RMGT’s increasingly popular 920 Series features a maximum paper size of 920 x 640 mm, enabling the eight-up printing of A4 size pages, as well as 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.

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 manufactured in Europe and is available from most major ink suppliers. The last two years or so has seen a growing commercial acceptance of LED-UV in the UK and Europe, following on from widespread success in Japan. 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, with the required ducting for extraction. The stunning productivity and quality of the technique are self-evident when the system is viewed in action.

About Northend Creative Print Solutions

128-year-old Northend Creative is one of the leading print solution companies in the North, employing over 40 people in a well-equipped modern factory, close to the M1 in South Yorkshire. Northend customers range from small businesses to large multi-site organisations, and span a multitude of sectors from corporates, education, sports, local authorities, design and packaging. The company has a strong emphasis on cost effective management and inward re-investment, providing clients with quality products, excellent customer service, and value for money. From managing online projects to producing the highest quality print, and providing value for money, Northend takes a considered approach to everything produced which is as true now as in 1889 when it began its journey of evolution and change.

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.

ENDS

ProCo: Litho Not Dead, SRA1 and LED-UV Make it Viable

ProCo, 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, and for Cron computer-to-plate solutions. 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 inline printing quality control enables the operator to monitor and maintain the quality of the printed sheet throughout the run.

Commenting on the purchase decision, 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.

“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 adds: “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.”

With a focus on the RMGT Ryobi’s market leading curing technology, Graeme comments: “There are a number of advantages that LED-UV offers, but the main driver was the reduced drying time that it brings. 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.”

Commenting on the order for Apex Digital Graphics, Neil Handforth, Sales & Marketing Director for the company, said: “This is another very significant order for Apex and for RMGT because once again it has come from a very high profile and well respected print business. ProCo has taken its decision to invest in litho equipment from RMGT Ryobi because it offers the business an advantage that is not available from other technologies or from other suppliers.”

Press Detail

RMGT’s increasingly popular 920 Series features a maximum paper size of 920 x 640 mm, enabling the eight-up printing of A4 size pages, as well as 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.

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 manufactured in Europe and is available from most major ink suppliers. The last two years or so has seen a growing commercial acceptance of LED-UV in the UK and Europe, following on from widespread success in Japan. 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, with the required ducting for extraction. The stunning productivity and quality of the technique are self-evident when the system is viewed in action.

ENDS