Herbert Walkers continues £10m expansion with new Speedmaster XL 106
Herbert Walkers will take delivery of its second Speedmaster XL 106 from Heidelberg in June.
The manufacturer has unveiled a range of solutions for digital and traditional production
Kodak, a global manufacturer of print hardware, materials, and chemicals, has unveiled a range of new technologies at drupa 2024 where it showcased printing hardware, offset plates, and workflow software.
The new KODAK OPTIMAX Pre-coater enables efficient inline or offline application of primer to substrates for production inkjet printing. Optimised for use with KODAK OPTIMAX Primers, the OPTIMAX Pre-coater is being demonstrated inline with the KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 Press.
At drupa Kodak has focused on the relationship between offset and inkjet as shown with the OPTIMAX Pre-coater which helps printers switch more jobs from offset to inkjet.
At the centre of the Kodak stand is the PROSER ULTRA 520 Press with inline roll-to-roll and roll-to-fold solutions. The company says the solutions are establishing Kodak as a full-service provider of integrated webfed finishing solutions for high-speed inkjet workflows.
This week Kodak has announced the sale of five KODAK PROSPER ULTRA 520 presses to an existing offset customer over a three-year period.
“With an open mind for new technology, this is a printing company that will immediately benefit from the application and quality advantages of our innovative inkjet press,” says Jim Continenza, executive chairman and chief executive officer at Kodak, who adds: “It offers users in all segments of the commercial print market a highly efficient solution for high-output, cost-effective printing of a wide variety of applications.”
Another new feature at the Kodak stand is the KODAK PROSPER Print Bar which incorporates KODAK PROSPER Plus or PROSPER S-Series Imprinting Systems to help with flexibility and colour-to-colour registration accuracy to inline or nearline hybrid printing.
The Print Bar is capable of achieving monochrome to CMYK printing that to KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology and water-based KODAK EKTACOLOR Inks. Kodak says the solution can be integrated into offset, flexo, and gravure presses as well as postpress and converting lines for high-quality imprinting of custom packaging, security, and commercial print applications.
The company has also continued to champion its offset solutions with the new KODAK SONORA Ultra Process Free Plate with improved image contrast, white light exposure, and plate image stability.
Kodak’s new KODAK MAGNUS Q3600 Titan Platesetter was another technology which has been celebrated during the show.
Kodak calls the device “the most versatile CTP system on the market” which offers enhanced automation, productivity, reliability for 4-up, 8-up, and VLF plate imaging.
Announced last week, Kodak celebrated the world’s first sale of the new Q3600 with Multi-Pallet Loader (MPL) automation to Imprimerie Pollina, based in Luçon, France. The platesetter will replace the two oldest of three existing MAGNUS VLF Platesetters at the print business which is one of the leading book, magazine, and catalogue printers in Europe.
Laurent Pollina, president of Imprimerie Pollina, says: “By investing in the new MAGNUS Q3600 Titan Platesetter, we are significantly modernising and streamlining our platemaking. We have long been impressed by the consistency and precise reproducibility of KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology.
“What we particularly like about the new VLF platesetter is the speed of the imaging and punching system. And the new, easier pallet loading process of the Multi-Pallet Loader is also a very welcome improvement.”
Denisse Goldbarg, chief marketing officer and Head of EAMER Sales at Kodak, comments: “We are very pleased that our long-standing customer Imprimerie Pollina will be the first to benefit from the high productivity, automation and plate size flexibility of the MAGNUS Q3600 Titan Platesetter. Our latest CTP system is a perfect solution for print shops with large plate size and volume requirements and sets a new benchmark in the VLF category.”
At the Kodak stand the company has been showcasing its KODAK PRINERGY Platform, a content management SaaS solution which includes new proprietary Intelligent Layout technology. Kodak’s demonstrating KODAK PRINERGY Business Solutions, which it says is the industry’s first and only fully integrated and managed business software portfolio including print-specific MIS/ERP, e-commerce, and collaboration applications.
Continenza concludes: "At drupa 2024, we are unveiling a range of innovative products that demonstrate Kodak's commitment to investing in innovation across our complete portfolio of traditional and digital solutions. Kodak's understanding of the entire print shop allows us to provide printers with the cutting-edge, highly automated solutions they need for their current and future business needs from a single source."
Drupa 2024 is taking place from May 28th to June 7th in the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre, Germany.
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