The XDrum! UV combines the exposing unit from Lüscher's XPose! UV, comprising laser diodes, optics, electronics and software, with a Heidelberg Suprasetter chasis.

Heidelberg said that the XDrum! was "a very interesting alternative for high consumption users", who could benefit from the lower cost of UV plates.

Pricing for the XDrum! UV will start from €100,000 (£81,000), which Lüscher said would be cost-effective for most printers producing 10,000-15,000m2 of plates a year.

The platesetter can expose up to 25 plates per hour and features an external drum design that can handle plate sizes up to a maximum 930mm x 1,060mm.

With a maximum resolution of 5,080dpi, the XDrum! UV is aimed at both commercial and packaging printers. Options include a dual cassette autoloader with a capacity for 380 plates in total.

To increase registration precision, reduce setup time on press and minimise waste, the XDrum! UV can also be equipped with a range of different inline punch systems.

The Swiss manufacturer highlighted the "reasonable price" and "very large supply" of UV plates from a wide number of suppliers – particularly in the emerging Asian markets.

It added that UV plates offered high print runs – even without baking, faster inking-up and reduced water consumption, while also being very robust when printing UV colours.