ongoing development and technical support. We expect to see an overall gain throughout the process, from raw material to finished product. We have taken a holistic approach including makeready times, sheets on the floor, downtime, and quality.” Griffin adds: “This would impact on further processes. Our customers will benefit from the investment in a very highly spec’d packaging press, to maintain Beamglow’s reputation at the forefront of the industry.” High Volumes, Reduced Prices So, what do the print service providers using offset technology have to say about its benefits and limitations? Founded in 1999, Solopress is an online print company serving the UK print market and is known for its sustainable print, fast turnarounds, excellent print quality, and 54 Workhorses of Litho A name that pops up time and time again in the world of litho is the Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106. The lastest in the manufacturer’s litho offering, the Speedmaster XL 106 offers consistent high quality with steady production speeds of 18,000 sheets per hour in straight printing or perfecting mode. Features such as continuous process optimisation through artificial intelligence; fully automated air settings when changing substrates; and plate changing in under one minute with AutoPlate XL 3, makes this press a popular choice within the print industry. Sheet-fed UV litho printer and print enhancement company, Oriel Printing Company, recently invested in a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106-7+LYYL (seven-colour offset raised press 75 x 106cm) with double coating system, double intermediate station, feeder, and delivery logistics and image control, along with Autoplate Pro. The company says the decision to replace its CX102-7+L with a new press was part of a strategy to increase its print capacity. “We’ve been running at full capacity for two years now,” says Richard Simms, managing director at Oriel Printing Company. “With this, we expect at least 25% more press hours will be available. We will also have the ability to print two coatings in a single pass. We previously printed doublecoat work in two passes. “We can run water-based coatings in a single pass. We previously limited our speed to 10,000 sheets per hour because we didn’t have infrared dryers – we used UV dryers instead. The new machine has both infrared and UV dryers.” With the new investment, Oriel is seeking to increase its client base and is targeting packaging companies that may have overspill or printing companies moving into packaging but need Oriel’s UV printing email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 342 - May / June 2023 expertise for difficult substrates such as foil boards or microflute boards. Another company that has recently invested in Heidelberg litho technology is Beamglow, producer of luxury packaging. The company has purchased an XL 106-7+LYY-1+L Heidelberg printing press which has replaced an older seven-colour double coat litho press. A significant moment in the evolution of Beamglow, the company’s strategy focuses on efficiency, flexibility, and maintaining the highest possible standards of quality and sustainability. “The decision to replace the older seven-colour double coat litho press is part of our rolling machinery replacement policy,” explains James Griffin, projects director at Beamglow. “Heidelberg has a long pedigree in press manufacture, compounded by both ▲ Jack Clifford, head of operations at Solopress ▼Oriel Printing Company recently invested in a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106-7+LYYL with double coating system litho was discovered by Alois Senefelder 1798 That’s why it’s fast and lower in cost for medium and long runs but impractical for short runs. The way you get around this of course is to have both methods available NEED TO KNOW / LITHO TECHNOLOGY
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