Format installed the platesetter one month ago and operations manager John Turner said the machine had helped halve platesetting time and increase its productivity.

“We went from 12 plates per hour to 28, which is a bit of a quantum leap for us,” said Turner.

He added that the company had effectively been able to cut out weekend overtime due to the machine’s speed.

“With print run quantities dropping, the need for pre-press to supply a large number of plates on demand has never been greater,” he said.

“The PlateRite HD 8900 more than fulfills this need and then some.”

Screen said the 8900 series was designed to help printers meet the trend towards shorter runs, faster turnaround, reduced costs and improving environmental standards.

The PlateRite HD 8900 series of 8-up thermal platesetters has a maximum output speed of over one plate per minute.

Format operates two Heidelberg presses a five-colour and an eight-colour CD 102.

See the June issue of ProPrint for a review of the Screen PlateRite HD 8900.

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