Large Format CTP Images 46 B1 Plates An Hour

Edited by the Printingtalk editorial team Jan 3, 2006

What is claimed to be the world's fastest platesetter has gone in to production at one of the most modern printers in southern Germany.

What is claimed to be the world's fastest platesetter has gone in to production at one of the most modern printers in southern Germany.

And the company's experience with the Platerite Ultima has already led it to place an order for a second system to be installed, making the company the only printer worldwide to operate two of Screen's top of the range VLF devices.

W Kohlhammer Druckerei, whose clients include fellow Stuttgart company Mercedes, is the first company in Europe to install Screen's new high speed version of its large-format 32-page Platerite Ultima CTP system.

To win the order, Screen demonstrated that its machine could image 46 B1 plates an hour, a figure that rivals were unable to match, said the company.

With nine presses, including eight-unit and six-unit KBA Rapida 162s and five multi-unit Heidelberg Speedmaster 102s, Kohlhammer was looking for a machine that could keep up with its press capacity.

Screen's Platerite Ultima 32000Z proved capable of producing a full set of plates for Kohlhammer's 12-unit Speedmaster in 16 minutes.

In addition to the speed of plate output, Kohlhammer's overall productivity also benefits from the fact that all of its plates are now punched in-line.

That means that the plates can be put on press with absolute certainty that they will be in register - even on its large format machines.

The investment is part of Kohlammer's strategy to upgrade its production facilities and the system was supplied by Fuji Photo Film (Europe), Screen's exclusive distributor in Germany, and local partner Graphia.