Gilmour & Dean to take dedicated UV press with double coaters

Scottish label printer Gilmour & Dean Ltd is to take delivery of a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74-6 LYLX-F in December. The new press will be UV dedicated and will come fitted with Prinect ImageControl spectrophotometry which combined with Prepress Interface will enable full closed loop color control.

The six color press with double coaters, towers and interdeck UV drying plus double extended delivery replaces two older SM74s.

‘We have calculated that owing to advances in technology and machine operating speeds since our last acquisition, combined with the introduction of a selective shift operating pattern, we are looking to substantially increase our throughput,’ said Andrew Rankine, business improvement manager. ‘This upgrade to our printing controls and flexibility will go a long way towards helping us maintain the stringent quality standards we and our customers in the wines and spirits industry expect and also offers opportunities of development into other related products.’

Gilmour & Dean has extended its services beyond high value added labels to include whisky tubes and box wraps as well as an ever increasing range of other related promotional work. The Speedmaster CD 74 can run a wide range of materials up to 0.8mm thick and the sheet guidance with the AirTransfer system mean stocks are transported at speed in a safe, no contact, mark-free manner through to the press delivery.

Gilmour & Dean’s work with the wines and spirits industry means it is more often producing labels with a traditional or antique look using bespoke colors to create individual effects. The double coater on the new press will enable the company to offer contrasting varnish effects as well as improved metallics and other applications they are intent on developing.

An increase in the use of metallic and plastic substrates has prompted the Scottish label specialist to opt for a dedicated UV press to complement its existing UV and conventional facility, all inks being supplied by Sun Chemical.

With two Prinect workflow modules in place, Prepress Interface and ImageControl on-press spectrophotometry, the company will not only be able to measure and keep accurate control of color within a set job but also from job to job, a feature which is especially important for point of sale products and where there is a requirement for repeat continuity as there is at Gilmour & Dean.

‘This connectivity together with information retention enables a great deal of valuable time saving for press preparation,’ said Mr Rankine. ‘That time saved goes into production.’ 

The press will be installed at the end of 2006 and as well as on site training, selected operators will be going to Heidelberg in Germany to receive hands on training.