Doubling Plate Production With Thermal CTP System

Speciality Print and Design has doubled plate production, imaging 16 more plates per hour than before with a Screen Platerite 6600 thermal CTP system.

The Dublin (Ireland) company has also installed a SAL single automatic plate loader from Litho Supplies.

As well as being able to the company's preceding system, the Platerite 6600, functioning in-line with the SAL automatic loading device gives Speciality Print and Design three extra hours of unmanned plate production per day.

That increase in productivity has eradicated bottle-necks at the pre-press stage, which previously caused a problem for the company, said Screen.

The new Platerite 6600 and SAL autoloader is connected via Heidelberg's Prinect workflow.

The system makes plates in three sizes for six Heidelberg presses, including Speedmaster 74, 52 and GTO machines.

The company is currently imaging with Fuji Thermal plates but would consider imaging Fuji ProT processless plates in the future, added the company.

According to Harry Crean, sales manager at Speciality Print and Design, the new set-up has re-established the company as a serious contender amongst print suppliers in the Dublin region.

He said: "Six years ago we installed a Screen system, which was capable of imaging 14 plates per hour.

It was considered a state-of-the-art machine at the time and operated faultlessly over the years.

However, our business has grown however and after investing in further printing presses the time eventually came to upgrade our CTP system to keep our new machines running to full capacity." He added: "After discussing our budget and business requirements with a trusted representative in Eugene Murtagh at Litho Supplies, we once again decided to opt for a Screen system.

The company offers the most reliable technology that is capable of outputting the highest quality results at speed.

We are delighted with the increased productivity the system has brought us." Crean explained that the system has transformed Speciality Print and Design's operation.

With the SAL autoloader it can automatically load 100 plates at a time and it produced 725 plates within three days of its installation.

In addition to its design, pre-press, lithographic and digital printing services, Speciality Print and Design houses a post-press division, including a range of speciality finishing equipment, such as gold foiling and laminating.

The company also offers fulfilment and direct mail services from a subsidiary outlet.

Crean continued: "At the moment we are comfortably producing enough plates to keep our presses running to a maximum and it is very reassuring to know we can boost our production even further in the future by simply upgrading to a processless operation." With a turnover of EUR5million and employing 45 people, Speciality Print and Design is one of the largest independent printing companies in Dublin.

Its clients include retailers, banks, insurance companies and airlines, such as Allianz and Aer Lingus, as well as a range of printing companies, brokers and corporate companies in Ireland.

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