CTP System Keeps Maximum Web Print Production

The 32-page Screen Platerite Ultima CTP system, installed at Belgian firm Grafimon last year, has proven so effective that the company has installed a second Ultima 32000 VLF device.

The 32-page Screen Platerite Ultima CTP system, installed at Belgian firm Grafimon last year, has proven so effective that the company has installed a second Ultima 32000 VLF device.

The additional Ultima 32000 VLF has been bought to ensure production is always kept at a maximum, said Screen.

Grafimon, which employs 16 people, uses Screen CTP to produce about 75,000 square metres of plates per year for web, sheet-fed and large format printers.

The majority of plates imaged on the Platerite Ultima 32000 are 1,276mm x 1,470mm and 1,276mm X 1,990mm in size for web customers producing catalogues and magazines in the cosmetics, travel and clothing industries.

That work accounts for around 45 per cent of the company's EUR2.5 million annual turnover.

In addition, the company also produces a range of plate sizes up to 1,050mm X 800mm for a variety of trade and commercial applications.

Hlodwig Lewyllie, one of the owners, Grafimon, explained: "Screen's Platerite technology is at the heart of our company and our Ultima 32000 has taken on the role as a real work-horse.

Our B1 Platerite 8600 makes plates for around 30 per cent of our business and we frequently experience bottlenecks during the production of B1 and B2 plates." He added: "Previously, our existing Ultima 32000 was always busy pushing through VLF plates for our web customer, so we could never use it to relieve the workload on the Platerite 8600.

Having two VLF machines means we can now avoid back-logs across our entire production.

In addition, having a further machine has allowed us to increase the amount of POS and display work we offer using 1,145mm x 1,430mm plates.

We see this as being a lucrative and profitable sector for us in the future." Lewyllie explained that a second Platerite Ultima 32000 offers the company greater peace of mind.

He commented: "Having worked with Screen for years, we have complete faith in Platerite technology and its durability.

Because we now heavily depend on the Ultima 32000, we wanted a second machine to ensure continued production." Grafimon's operation incorporates Screen's Trueflow Express workflow system for optimum output and speed.

Unlike the company's first Platerite Ultima 32000, Grafimon's latest system comes with in-line punching capabilities, which Lewyllie reported has had a significant impact on production speeds, as the process does not require operator intervention.

Customers also benefit from the fact that the side lays should not require adjustment once on press, which enhances the quality of the plates through greater accuracy, he added.

Because of that, the newest machine at Grafimon has become the main functioning system, with around 80 per cent of plates now being pre-punched for customers.

According to Screen, as with all of its VLF platesetters, the Ultima 32000 has a dual feeding capability, which allows it to image two standard size plates at a time, to a maximum of 58 plates per hour.

That feature will enable Grafimon to take on new business in January from an existing customer operating in the B1, sheet-fed sector.

The new business will see Grafimon increasing production by up to 100 plates per day.

"In bringing so many benefits to our business, our second Platerite Ultima 32000 has already proven a worthy investment and has brought us far more opportunity to grow our business than we had first anticipated," said Lewyllie.

Grafimon, which was established in 1987, has launched a digital printing division, following the installation a Xerox press.

It is a privately-owned company that said it maintains close relationships with its customers by dealing with only locally-based businesses operating within 100 miles of Kortrijk, in Belgium.

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