Douglas is switching from visible light to thermal Computer to Plate technology to improve ease of handling and environmental impact and for the reliability that comes with a new system.
"We have secured a second year warranty through a consumables deal. We know the Suprasetter A75 is a very reliable machine but if plate production stops, everything stops. This is peace of mind," says Mark Douglas, managing director of the Bishops Stortford company.
The company likes the two cassette Automatic Top Loader which will allow it to output plates with minimal manual intervention and keeping its two Speedmasters, an SM 74-4 and an SM 52-2, fed.
Douglas will use about 300 to 350 Saphira Chem-Free plates a month on the SM 74 and about 100 on the SM 52. These offset press run alongside digital colour equipment to provide a comprehensive service, including in-house design.
"The design side feeds our printing operation and vice versa. We believe this is the time to start re-investing. The market is still a little bit up and down but there is a general upward trend in our sector which is high quality colour print," says Mr Douglas.
The company operates days from 8.30am until about 6.30pm but with the flexibility to cover tight deadlines.
In the UK Heidelberg has installed about 200 Suprasetter CtP devices and it holds just over a third of the CtP market. Trends in the market have included an increase in automation with single and multi-cassette loading and Prinect workflow connectivity in tandem with these devices.
