Manufacturing of the grade in Germany follows successful trials conducted last year (PrintWeek, 2 December 2004). The firm invested 218m in its PM4 project for the production of LWC grades, in weights from 48-65gsm, which use 70-100% recovered fibre.

UK sales director Clive Duncan said basis weights of 60gsm, 57gsm and 54gsm were already well established, with more weights being trialled. The development will alter the firm's outlook on the UK market, where it currently has around a 4.5% share of the 9m tonne LWC sector, especially with the start-up of Polestar's gravure superplant in Sheffield.

Sales director Andreas May said Leipa was one of the few paper producers capable of manufacturing and delivering reel widths up to 4.32m, and was well-positioned to supply the new generation of super-wide gravure printing presses.

The first order in the 4.32m width, a 54gsm reel, has recently been delivered to German printer Prinovis, the joint venture gravure operation of Arvato, Axel Springer and Gruner+Jahr.

The same firm is also set to install three super-wide machines at its new Greenfield plant in Liverpool, to come on stream in 2006 and could open another supply door for Leipa.

Numerous successful trials have also been conducted at major gravure printers in Europe and the US. A mill spokeswoman said that following recent testing Leipa ultraMagRG is now being supplied on a regular basis in weights from 51-65gsm.

Story by Andy Scott