Speedscreen ups inkjet production with Durst Rho 800 Presto

Speedscreen ups inkjet production with Durst Rho 800 Presto

Kent-based Speedscreen has enlarged its digital inkjet production capability with the addition of a Durst Rho 800 Presto. The installation builds on the 23-year-old screen print specialist's initial digital inkjet investment in a Durst Rho 205 five years ago.

Tim Hill, managing director of Speedscreen, said: "Our Durst Rho 205 has served us well but the type of work we're now being asked to produce meant that we needed a faster solution which didn't compromise on quality. The Durst Rho 800 Presto wasn't the cheapest machine but its build quality and speeds of up to 120m2/hr were complemented by the fact that it is an extremely well-designed flatbed and roll-fed printer with a modest footprint."

Installation of the new 5.5 tonne printer wasn't easy - it meant removing the front of the building and lifting the printer 15ft by forklift truck onto scaffolding before moving it into its final position on a specially constructed mezzanine floor.

"This is a solid, high-end system and one which we expect will last us for many years," continued Hill. "The other options we looked at before deciding on the Rho 800 Presto looked remarkably flimsy and didn't offer us the build quality we need, such as the continuous board and roll-feed systems and the strong vacuum bed which we've already proved can flatten and hold warped sheets ready for printing."

Speedscreen opted for six colours (CMYKlclm) plus two white channels as many of the materials used by the company benefit from under- and over-printing. The Durst Rho Presto 800 was supplied with a Caldera GrandRip and a Barbieri electronic spectrophotometer.