The Cobalt-32 will sell for half the price of rival products and "play havoc with other VLF machines", according to the firm. Production of a full-size plate at 2,400dpi takes six minutes, or three minutes at 1,200dpi, which it believes will be popular in the book market.

In deciding how to position itself in the CTP market, president and chief executive Najeeb Khalid felt Escher-Grad's offering had to make a dramatic difference to the market. "There had to be a paradigm shift," said Khalid. "We had to make a machine 50% cheaper than the rest."

The price is low because of the construction methods and materials used. It uses a unique composite compound to cast the drum, eliminating the machining costs of other devices. "We have to make money on CTP, we've nothing else to make money on," he said. "We can't subsidise hardware with plate business like Fuji and Agfa."

The ComfortZone3 warranty is standard on its machines, and covers all parts regardless of location, plates used or workflow. "We can afford it for one simple reason - they don't break down," said Khalid. "A free warranty is a big thing, you can spend thousands a year on a warranty that doesn?t even include the laser."

This deal comes soon after Fuji's offer of a three-year warranty (PrintWeek, 8 November). The B2 Cobalt-4 costs 35,000, while the B1 Cobalt-8 costs 60,000. Despite these low prices, Khalid said the firm made a profit on every machine.

There are nearly 150 of the firm's B2 and B1 Cobalt-4 and Cobalt-8s in the field to date, and it expects its installed base to hit 500 by the end of next year.

Contact Fastek 0113 243 9808 and www.fastek.co.uk or Repro sales & Repairs 01268 784999.

Story by Barney Cox