John Dollin in 950,000 Heidelberg deal

Whitchurch-based printer John Dollin has invested nearly 1m in a Speedmaster XL 75-5+L and Suprasetter 105 CtP system.

The Suprasetter 105 plate-setter is to be delivered in October and will produce plates for John Dollin’s new Speedmaster XL 75, Speedmaster XL 105, and two SM 52-4+Ls.

The £150,000 system has Prepress Manager CIP 4 connectivity, a completely new system to John Dollin, which will keep track of wastage, makeready and job times. It will create a closed colour loop, monitored by the XL 75’s Axis Control, to link prepress to the pressroom remotely.

Meanwhile the £800,000 B2-format Speedmaster XL 75-5+L will replace an SM 74-5 when it is installed this December.

Co-director Ian Dollin said that the company had been interested in the machine for some time and felt that the time was right to invest as the current SM 74-5 needed to be replaced.

Dollin said: "We do a lot of carton work and the new XL 75 will come into its own for that with the double size impression cylinder.

"It is far better suited for the heavier weight materials than the SM 74. The thickest board we would handle would be 600 microns but we know that the XL 75 can handle heavier weights than that."

He currently runs Heidelberg’s Image Control colour measurement system but believes that the XL 75’s Axis Control management, which scans colour bars on-press, will cut down on waste and streamline practices.

The decision to invest in only Heidelberg equipment was a conscious one, as Dollin said that the back-up and service would be more straightforward if coming from one manufacturer.

He said: "If anything goes wrong we will just have one port of call."

Dollin added that the company was looking to invest in B2-format for its digital shop in the new year and was watching the market for an affordable addition to its portfolio.