Loop Print moves to Komori

Digital and litho printer Loop Print has taken delivery of a five-colour B2 Komori Lithrone S29 with coater, its first Komori machine.

The press was installed last month and two of Loop Print’s staff are currently being trained on it by Komori operators.

It replaces an outgoing five-colour B2 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74, which Loop Print managing director Chris Gray said had “had its day”.

Gray said: “The Komori was a complete package. We are historically a Heidelberg house and we were getting to the point where we needed to replace the Speedmaster. As far as I could see there were only two options, Komori or Heidelberg, anything else was a bit of a risk.

“Komori came in, took us to a couple of installations and showed us the options and we took it from there really. They have been great and accommodated us with the installation dates and training dates because we were quite specific.”

The Komori prints at speeds of up to 16,000sph and takes a maximum sheet size of 530x750mm. It has an H-UV curing system, which Gray was particularly impressed with.

He said: “I was sold on the H-UV; I like it very much. Work is instantly dry the second it is off the press and it enables special finishes.

“I am of the opinion that just producing commoditised print is a tough thing to do if you are up against the online boys. We want to be involved in branding and adding value.

“The only drawback I can see is the cost of the ink, about two and a half to three times the price, but apart from that we are saving in certain areas.”

Gray said he thinks the Komori will be a "massive help" and will lead to faster makereadies and a cleaner print room for the Sheffield-based company.

Loop Print employs 23 staff in its 1,500sqm premises.

Other than the Komori, it also runs two Konica Minolta bizhubs, a two-colour Speedmaster SM 52, and also does large-format work on its Roland DS540 and Vutek QS2000 machines.