Dec 2, 2007

Pelican Press takes plate waste down to zero with Screen


Commercial printer Pelican Press has cut 100% of plate waste thanks to a Screen platesetter, and is planning to adopt the manufacturer's online proofing software.

Manchester-based Pelican, which has a turnover of £3.2m and 32 employees, offers litho and digital printing, finishing and repro for government, design and corporate clients.

The 20 plate per hour PlateRite 4300S, which has a list price of £80,100, produces all the plates required for the company's two Heidelberg perfecting presses, along with a single plate autoloader and Screen's Trueflow software.

The work was previously handled by two thermal platesetters.

Pelican managing director Ian Crow said the efficiency of the new system had helped increase productivity, reduce expenditure and save on floorspace.

"We initially chose to go with the Screen offering because the hardware appeared more robust and durable and the software seemed a more flexible option than other packages on the market as it is able to accommodate a wider range of files," Crow said.

"Now we have been working with the system for a number of weeks, we are beginning to realise the true potential of our investment. The PlateRite 4300S has proven so reliable, the amount of plates we are wasting per week have been reduced from 50 to zero. This translates into savings of £150 in consumable costs and three hours' of operator time per month."

Crow said the Trueflow software had sped up file processing time by 40%, reducing the overtime bill by about £600 per month.

He added that a number of automated features on the PlateRite 4300S had made the process of fitting jobs on the press faster and more accurate.

"The inline punching facility alone has cut makeready by around five minutes per job," Crow said. "Taking into account the fact that we put around 25 jobs daily through our two Speedmaster machines, it means we are two hours more productive per day than we were before."

Pelican Press is also planning to install Screen's Rite Approve software, which allows customers to proof work online. The company has offered online proofing facilities via Real Time Proof software for five years, but is making the switch because the Screen software is a browser-based application.

Source: printweek

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