"It is one of the best extras I have ever put on a machine," says Paul Shotton, managing director of Progressive Printers Ltd about the installation of five ink.line cartridge systems on his new Komori Lithrone LS529c.
"The machine minders put ink.line high on their wish list so that they could concentrate on quality rather than running up and down the press filling up the ink ducts. I recognised it would keep the press cleaner and that it would pay for itself in reduced waste and skinning over the years. Hopefully it will also keep the residual price higher due to its cleanliness. It has given the press a properly finished look," says Mr Shotton.
Progressive Printers is a general commercial printer typically producing brochures, leaflets and point of sale materials for an East Midlands and national customer base. It is based in Nottingham and works a double day shift system.
Its new five-colour has a dedicated coater so the fifth unit is primarily for specials although it does have cartridges with sealer for some work. Sun Chemical Gibbon is Progressive's main ink supplier, taking away empty cartridges and supplying the four process inks and specials.
"The changeover takes seconds. There is a first audible siren warning you a cartridge is getting low and a second more urgent siren with flashing lights which tells you it needs to be replaced. The top opens up automatically and you just fit the next one in and off you go," explains Mr Shotton.
The company, which had previously used dampening temporising equipment from technotrans, has been impressed by the product but also by the service and support from this ancillaries supplier. Overall it is delighted to have eliminated knives and inky hands from the pressroom and to have increased efficiency while reducing costs. The company also bought an alpha.r reverse osmosis system from technotrans for clear and predictable water pH in this round of investment.
Technology