The printer, along with sister company and commercial printer JC Irving, will run Agfa N92-VCF plates on their Advantage Xs CTP systems. The machines’ VPP68 processors have been modified to function as ‘clean-out-units’.

Murray Pioneer general manager Ben Taylor told ProPrint that the machine was upgraded just prior to Christmas.

“It was a very cost-effective upgrade, and it also saves water,” Taylor said. “The environmental consideration was very big considering that we’re in the middle of Riverland, and it’s in drought.”

According to Agfa, the system’s processors now run in a closed-loop setup without the need for any plumbing or drainage for waste. The only water required is for the rinsing of the rollers when the system’s wash-out VCF gum is renewed, and developer and replenisher are no longer required.

The Murray Pioneer, which is based in Renmark and services the Riverland area, uses 889x586mm plates, and is estimated to run through 1,000-1,200 plates a month. The company also runs two Tensor four-high web presses and three monochrome Goss machines.

Agfa newspaper manager for Oceania Steve Marshall said: “Beyond the savings and environmental benefits, violet chemistry-free offers a far more consistent plate by removing all the processing variables of platemaking.

“The N92-VCF plates produce an exceptionally strong image contrast and there’s absolutely no on-press contamination,” he added.

The Pioneer group publishes six newspapers: The Murray Pioneer, The Loxton News, The River News, The Border Times, The Bunyip, and The Mid North Broadcaster. All are printed at the Renmark site.

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