PCP intends that the new Mitsubishi B1 press will provide its magazine customers with unique printing techniques that will make their covers stand out in a crowded marketplace.
The Telford-based magazine and commercial printer is replacing a 16-year-old Mitsubishi six-colour 3H/6+C press with the new RMGT 1050 TP 9 model. The new machine boasts nine printing units in a four-over-five configuration, built in the tandem perfector arrangement, and comes with a chamber coater unit and an extended delivery.
PCP managing director Alex Evans said the company evaluated a number of presses and manufacturers at Drupa last year and then went to see several machines in action at printers across the UK and Europe. They settled on the new Mitsubishi, supplied by MPL, after travelling to Japan to see it in operation.
The four-over-five configuration, supported by a coating unit, will provide a full UV drying system, with both inter-unit and after-coater curing lamps. It can run gloss and matt varnishes, spot varnishes and produce metallic effects.
“It is a very exciting press that will allow us to provide a whole range of new and exciting products for our customer portfolio,” Evans said. “It will allow for such techniques as drip-off varnish for spot and matt UV, metallic inks, and flood UV in one pass.
“It is the only press of this configuration and specification in Europe and offers PCP a major opportunity to stand out in the magazine covers sector.”
Marketing manager Emma Ball added that as well as promising unusual cover designs, the Tandem Perfector’s range of techniques would be able to create special textures and veneers on adverts within magazines. Customers have requested this to appeal to high-end advertisers such as Louis Vuitton or Chanel, she said.
It has a maximum printing area of 1,050x740mm on sheets of up to 1,050x750mm and 0.6mm thick. Top speed is 16,200sph.
The machine will be delivered to the company’s 13-acre site in June, and will go into operation in August, lining up alongside a Heidelberg Speedmaster sheetfed press and Komori and Manroland web presses.
