Were trying to re-educate people about SRA2, explained sales manager Colin Hewett. Why should people send an SRA2 sheet down a B2 press all the time?

Over the past two years Sakurai has made 156 installations of its 466 SRA2 machine. Thats 156 into a market that thought SRA2 was dead, added managing director Mark Jennings. We see tremendous potential, and people listen to the arguments.

Sakurai focuses solely on the medium-format market, and in fact will launch its own new B2 machine at Drupa. But the firm contends that 85% of the work put through B2 presses is SRA2 or smaller, and that an SRA2 printer competing with a B2 printer will make higher margins due to lower running costs. A five-colour SRA2 press with coater costs some 75,000 less than the B2 equivalent, and takes up 30-40% less floor space.

If youre going from B3 to B2, its a heck of a jump with SRA2 its a less frightening step and users can still compete on a lot of B2 work, Jennings added.

At its open house Sakurai showed a five-colour 566 with a new easy-to-use coating system from LithoCoat.