SMP Group, announces details of an order for a ROLAND 900 XXL Size-8 press. The new five-colour press, scheduled for installation during December, will be run from day-one without alcohol, with other machinery at the plant set to follow in the same direction, as part of a program to reduce the level of alcohol used within the press hall.

The five-colour large format press will handle materials up to 1,300 x 1850mm, with a print area of up to 1290 x 1850mm, running at up to 11,000 sheets per hour. The machine will feed materials from 0.1 through to 1.2mm thick, allowing direct printing onto board as well as paper stocks.

The press will be equipped with chilled ink rollers to ensure even and accurate ink coating across the full width of the machine. Also included is a dust extraction system to remove any particles from substrates prior to being fed through the press and powder extraction capabilities post-printing.

With regard to the move to alcohol free production, Bradley Slade commented “Environmental issues are extremely important, both for us as the printer and our customers, and this new arrival gives us an ideal opportunity to make the move to alcohol free printing. The new installation will allow us to decommission two of our older presses – leaving us with litho presses that are more than capable of making the switch to greener alcohol reduced production.” The ROLAND XXL will sit alongside the companies existing KBA large-format press.

Commenting on the order for MAN Roland, Gary Doman, Sheetfed Sales Director, said: “Naturally we are delighted to have a ROLAND 900 XXL installed at one of the UK’s premier large-format print sites. The press will prove an ideal point of focus for the company’s move into alcohol free production.”