Thermal platesetter handles fast job responses

Fulmar has invested GBP250,000 in a B1 Screen Platerite 8800ZX thermal platesetter.

Part of the CPI Group, Fulmar has also further streamlined production with a workflow system upgrade to Trueflow SE across two sites in Croydon.

A guaranteed supply of plates to Fulmar's Group's Heidelberg presses comprising a total of 62 units was paramount, said Screen.

Mike Austin, Fulmar Group's marketing director, added: 'We wanted a platesetter with exceptional throughput to cope with our considerable plate volume needs.

Run lengths are getting shorter and response rates are faster and this investment was important to reduce our pre-press times still further.

With this latest investment we can now produce a full set of plates for one of our 12-colour presses in 15 minutes.

The Platerite 8800ZX uses GLV (Grating Light Valve) imaging to output up to 51 Agfa thermal plates per hour, said Screen.

Integral plate punching and the system's multi-cassette plate loader reduces handling time and ensures plates are quickly on press.

Fulmar has also invested in a new Trueflow SE workflow system.

Screen's PDF/JDF-enabled, pre-press production system provides automated pre-flight, colour conversion, imposition, trapping and RIPping.

The company has achieved the ISO 12647 standard for colour process control which, in Austin's view is the backbone that keeps quality at the forefront in everything it does.

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