"It fits in very neatly with what we do because all customers in the commercial area are potential users," said Pomeroy managing director Derek Pomeroy.

Perf-Print-Plus (PPP), manufactured by Swiss firm PPP International, fits onto any make and size of sheetfed press, including XXLs, unlike the rival Cito system. It's the first time that the PPP has been available in the UK, but worldwide there are more than 2,000 users.

"It's our mistake that we've started so late with the UK, but that's our priority for 2005," said PPP International managing director Daniel Ruprecht.

The system works by fitting a perforation plate or gridded base foil, onto which self-adhesive rules or dies are placed, on the blanket cylinder and then a protective foil/sheet onto the impression cylinder in one of the press units.

"It cuts out a whole load of bindery work. That's the beauty of it, you can slit a job and deliver it ready for crosscutting, which saves people an absolute fortune," said Pomeroy.

According to Ruprecht, a simple configuration can take as little as one and a half hours from start to producing the first sheet.
Complicated die profiles can be made from pre-press files by Kocher + Beck UK, to tolerances of 1/1,000mm, via Pomeroy in two working days.

Prices for a starter set, which includes all the necessary tools for a B3 press start at around 1,200, rising to 2,200 for a B1 press.
The system is available for presses from Heidelberg, Komori, Mitsubishi, KBA, Ryobi, Sakurai, MAN Roland, Adast and Akiyama.

Story by Darryl Danielli