Oakdene Printing Services has installed a four-colour SRA1 RMGT 920 LED UV press a year after installing the first SRA1 LED UV press in Northern Ireland.
The press, supplied by M Partners, has been installed in a former store on Oakdene’s Mallusk site in Newtownabbey. It is identical in specification to the press that was little more than 12 months ago. “That investment has worked out very well for us,” says director Jamie McMullan. “The new machine gives us an increase in capacity as well as back up in case any thing goes wrong.” This has not happened so far, with the machine living up to promises on quality and reliability. “We didn’t even consider any other suppliers,” McMullan says.
The strategy has also worked well for the business. It can offer cost effective eight A4 page to view printing more efficiently than a B1 press and with the LED UV can push work straight into finishing from the delivery of the press. The long perfecting B1 is highly effective on long runs where Oakdene would need to print in two passes, but with shorter runs the fast set up, reduced running costs and significantly cheaper plates, the company is highly competitive on shorter runs.
The drying system has been a revelation, says McMullan. “LED is even more of a game changer than the press. We get work into finishing immediately and don’t even have to think about marking. It simply doesn’t happen.
“One of the older guys here with experience on running a B1 long perfector cannot believe how jobs come and go out as fast as they do, even with big solids on uncoated boards. That’s work he says that they would never even consider, even with a coater.”
The larger perfecting presses have the advantage on longer runs, but cannot beat the SRA1 for short runs. Oakdene has acquired a digital and large format business in the north, says McMullan. This takes the ultra short runs below where the 920 is effective. “This morning we have been printing a job that has a run of 160 on the SRA1 press. You would never dream of doing that on a conventional B1 machine.”
McMullan says that the company has adequate finishing capacity for the moment at least, though is prepared to invest as demand requires. It bought a Komori Apressia 115 guillotine last year to join a relatively new Horizon StitchLiner in finishing and an Agfa Avalon N8 platesetter to produce the larger format plates.
The more likely response to increased volume is finding additional personnel to increase capacity to meet demand. “Our people are able to step up. They all have their area of expertise but can also help in other areas if needed,” he says.
The first press had a marked impact on capacity at the business. It replaced an SRA2 Sakurai and cut waste and makeready times as well as printing on a much larger sheet.
