Pressroom equipment supplier Dantex installed the package in January, which comprised an Epson 9890 large format inkjet printer with a specialist RIP, inline Aquaflex 900F plate processor, A1 Plus exposure unit and bag and ceramic filtration systems. The total investment reached around £70,000.

The company uses Aquaflex Varnica Flexo NVO 114 water-wash coating plates, which are exposed to a negative image before being processed on the Aquaflex 900F.

The process apparently reduces the time taken to create a dry, ready to run plate to 40 minutes from the usual two hour drying period for older solvent-based plate production systems, adding to the time savings made from having the technology in-house.

"Using an outside supplier it would not be uncommon to have a 24-hour turnaround. That’s not too bad if you have sufficient advance warning of the need to create a new plate, but that is often not the case," said Lee Appleby, operations manager for Benson Group northeast.

"With our customers having ever more demanding delivery schedules it is a significant benefit to have control over the production of this part of the process."

Prior to the install, the company was using plates provided by an external supplier, or creating simple hand-prepared cut-out blankets for coating application.

Appleby added: "The installation will allow us to cater for the more exacting coating demands from customers and our own Benson Group design department.

"The UK’s major supermarkets are seeking ever more attractive and striking pack designs to tempt their customers to pick goods from the shelf. Coatings are playing an important role in that process, with a variety of textures being asked for."

The plates are also being used on the coating units of Benson Gateshead’s four Komori B1-format litho presses, which includes the UK’s first Lithrone SX40 press.