RPS undertakes £1m upgrade

The 1270mm wide, roll-fed LED imaging system processes a wide variety of RA4 photographic paper, which is ideal for RPS' retail and point-of-sale customers.

The machine, which handles any width up to 1270mm and any length up to 50m arrived last week and is set to begin live production from Monday.

RPS key account manager Jon Walsh said: "The Chromira system enables us to offer exceptional quality prints with fast turnarounds and provides superior definition and a wider colour gamut compared to traditional systems.

"We work almost exclusively within the realm of POS and retail display and our client base is comprised mainly of agencies operating in this sector. The RPS offer has always been tailored to these markets and our latest round of investment ensures we're delivering services and a value proposition that's optimised for our client base."

The Chromira install is part of a year-long upgrade plan, which has reached around £1m.

Included in the investment is a 2.2x3.2m Kongsberg i-XP 44 digital die cutter, which Walsh said has relieved a bottleneck in RPS workflow and enabled the company to react to short leadtimes and process a wider range of substrates.

Walsh added that the investment in a KBA 74 Karat press supports the work of RPS' Bamboo Print division, which exclusively serves the horticulture market. The UV ink curing module of the press enables the subsidiary to print lightfast and waterproof inks direct to polypropylene and plastics, which Walsh said is a key requirement for plant tags and other promotional pieces for growers and retailers.

He said: "Specifically, the Karat enables us to offer really fast turnarounds and genuine litho-quality, even for short runs. The CTP imaging technology enables us to set up in just 20 minutes, including plate-making.

"Another key benefit of this system is reduced wastage. The press can makeready with just 20 sheets, a massive saving when compared to conventional litho presses, which typically require 400 to 500 waste sheets for setup."

Walsh added that the investments had been prompted by new contract wins and client and marketplace demands for higher quality and greater flexibility. "Broadly speaking, the goal is to offer clients greater choice, better quality and faster turnarounds," he said.

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