It is probably safe to say that Lincoln-based printer Pelican Trust isn’t like most companies that feature in this segment of the magazine. The organisation is a commercial printer, but also a charitable trust, offering litho and digital printing services, while providing career training opportunities for disabled and vulnerable adults.

Last year, the company took the decision to invest in its printroom operation and, in a bid to enhance the quality and efficiency of its pre-press, installed a Cobra-2 violet platesetter with Cascade RIP from Highwater Products.

Pelican identified a need to invest in a CTP system in March 2010 and, by October, the machine, which was installed by Hertfordshire-based Marlowe Graphics, was up-and-running.

Their aim was simple, to find a cost-effective means of moving to CTP, while promoting Pelican’s environmental credentials and offering high-quality print to their customers in and around Lincolnshire.

Alan Heron is the print supervisor at Pelican Trust and heads a team of four full-time staff. However, according to Heron, as many as 10 volunteers can be found helping out at any time across the trust’s print and packaging operation.

Bought on recommendation
In addition to its Cobra-2 Violet CTP, Pelican’s print operation consists of three Ryobi presses, a 522, 3302 and a 500KNP. It also operates an Oki digital machine and a raft of in-house finishing that spans processes such as folding and collating.

"We were very busy and needed a machine that could make a lot of plates quickly and accurately," is Heron’s explanation of the Cobra investment. Unlike many companies that look to invest in new equipment, though, Pelican Trust took the word of a nearby printer as recommendation enough to take the platesetter plunge.

"A company we are familiar with was using Highwater’s Python B2 4-UP machine. After learning that, we decided to look at what it had to offer and that’s when we came across the Cobra-2E machine," says Heron.

According to Highwater Products, the unique selling point of the Cobra-2E is the simple easy-to-use front-end system. "We designed the system to ensure that everyone in the company can quickly make plates on the system," says Peter Flynn, sales director at the company.

The machine uses DMS screening technology that Highwater claims can hold a 0.5–99.5% dot on any Violet plate which, in turn, gives the customer an equivalent 400lpi output and on average 15% ink saving on press.

Following the installation in October, service and support partner Marlowe Graphics delivered all the necessary on-site training and still  provides technical assistance to the print team at Pelican Trust.

Heron says that the installation ran to plan, while after-sale support has been up to standard.

Highwater’s Flynn added that, for them, the installation was a "fantastic learning aid, a machine that gives both the students and employees at Pelican an up-to-date insight into modern printing technologies. We are very proud to be associated with the Trust."

And, according to Stacey Gillott, chief executive at Pelican Trust, it was only a matter of weeks before the investment was paying dividends.

"We are seeing a significant reduction in makeready times and are delighted with the increased quality being achieved on press," she says.

The Cobra-2E, as installed at Pelican, was launched at Graph Expo in September 2009 and is based on the existing popular Cobra-2 model.

Highwater Products has altered the Cobra-2 architecture to offer a more economical version, hence the E prefix. The machine has a three-pin-only register bar rather than an onboard multiple notch register. This reduces the build cost, making it an affordable system for organisations such as Pelican wanting to move into the B3 metal CTP space.

Perfect fit
Heron says that the machine was the perfect fit for the trust’s requirements. Despite £4,000 difference between the Cobra-2 and Cobra-2E configurations, the latter machine ticked the organisation’s boxes.

According to Heron, Pelican produces a "wide range of commercial print" for companies that are primarily based in and around Lincoln. The business, established in 1989, has the capacity to print up to 800,000 sheets per week but Heron says that Pelican is big "but not too big to care for the customer".

Its customer base includes Jackson Building Centres, Lincoln City Football Club and the LCC, with Pelican producing a range of work such as booklets, magazines, folders and flyers across its litho and digital armoury.

Heron said the Cobra-2E has allowed the company to save money by eliminating the need for film and cutting makeready times. Pelican uses its Cobra-2E to image Agfa N91V photopolymer plates that are designed for runs up to 250,000. These are then run on the company’s trio of Ryobi litho presses.

The Cobra-2E can output up to 30 plates an hour with a maximum plate size of 550x627mm, production speeds that Heron deems "very fast" and more than enough to cater for Pelican’s CTP requirements. Heron finds that the manual load and unload nature of the machine makes it easy to operate and maintain.

Would Heron recommend the Cobra-2E?
"Absolutely," he replies. "CTP is ideal for companies that carry out a large amount of full-colour work. It has helped us improve the efficiency of our print operation and produce more high-quality work as a result of that."

Competing with machines such as the ECRM Mako-2 platesetter, HighWater Products have more than 100 Cobra-2E installations in the field and, Flynn believes, interest and prospects will increase as it is such an affordable CTP system.

"The B3 CTP market will grow as the price of film goes up and up, because of the ever-increasing cost of silver, making the return on investment a fast one," he adds.

The supplier is not stopping there either. Highwater has aggressive sales targets for its Cobra-2E CTP system in 2011 and beyond.

"We are very confident that our sales targets will be met. The announcements of more Violet Photopolymer plates in the market, including low chemistry from Huaguang and IBF, will help increase our market share in this price-sensitive segment of the industry which is in fact the largest by volume," says Flynn.

The staff at Pelican believe that its business is unique in that its offers "a high level of supervision and training to our learners", at the same time as providing an efficient and professional commercial service to its customers in Lincolnshire and throughout the UK.

It feels that in the Cobra-2E system, like many other existing customers, it has an able partner to ensure that unique position is profitable.

SPECIFICATIONS
Max speed Up to 30 plates an hour
Resolution 2,540dpi
Max plate size 550x627mm
Thickness 0.3mm
Min plate size 300x380mm
Thickness 0.15mm
Price £28,000
Contact Highwater Products 01242 578357

COMPANY PROFILE
Pelican Trust was established in 1989 and has a turnover of £600,000. The Lincoln-based organisation is both a commercial printer and a charitable trust. It offers litho and digital printing services while providing career training opportunities for disabled and vulnerable adults.

Employing four staff full time within its print operation, many of the people whom Pelican Trust takes on work across its bespoke joinery, litho printing, digital printing, business centre, engraving, contract packing and recycling, as well as a training department. Pelican runs three Ryobi presses, a 522, 3302 and a 500KNP. As well as an Oki digital machine, Pelican operates in-house finishing that spans folding and collating.

Why it was bought…
"We were very busy and needed a machine that could make a lot of plates quickly and accurately," says Alan Heron.

How it has performed…
Pelican Trust chief executive Stacey Gillott said: "We are already seeing significant reduction in makeready times and are delighted with the increased quality being achieved on press."