The Prindor modification takes up two consecutive units on a Roland 700 press, anywhere in the configuration, without reducing running speed. "You can print before or after foiling, or both," said MAN Roland GB director of sheetfed and finishing sales Gary Doman.

It works by the first unit applying a "printable" adhesive, using a normal printing plate. The second unit then applies the foil, which only bonds with the glued areas. The waste is then respooled.

The retrofittable system is only available for Roland 700s, "but there aren't any restrictions on how old your 700 is," said Doman.

The system can only currently run one full width of foil, but the firm has been working on an indexing and accessing system to reduce wastage. By Ipex 2006 MAN Roland intends to unveil a multi-roll system.

Prindor costs 225,000 on a new machine, the retrofittable option is slightly more expensive. According to Doman, the first UK sales could happen soon.

Story by Darryl Danielli