Print Quest invests in Shine LED Lamp Kits from Miraclon

Print Solutions

Flexo specialist Print Quest Graphics Ltd, based in Skegness, has made its second investment in Shine LED Lamp Kits, innovated by Miraclon, after reporting significant efficiency and quality gains from its initial investment earlier this year.

‘The benefits were so significant,’ said David Jarvis, managing director and founder of Print Quest. ‘I knew within 24 hours after installation that I would be upgrading my other two exposure units with Shine LED Lamp Kits too.’

Dave continued, ‘On average we have reduced exposure times by 33%, which is remarkable. Because the LED lamps don’t degrade, exposures are consistent across the entire bed, eliminating plate remakes, and our plate specialists aren’t spending time monitoring and recalibrating lamps. In addition, because the Shine LED lamps operate at room temperature, we don’t have to wait for the lamps to warm up and cool down. This can take up to 30 minutes, so the productivity benefits are considerable as well. We also anticipate significant savings on our energy bills, so it enhances our sustainability proposition.’

The Shine LED Lamp Kit is Miraclon’s innovative solution to providing fluorescent users with a simple, low cost route from inconsistent fluorescent exposure to the multiple advantages of LED technology. By utilising customers’ existing fluorescent exposure frames, for a fraction of the cost of a new LED exposure unit, users benefit from consistent, predictable intensity over a much longer operating life (up to 5000 hours compared to 800 hours for fluorescent tubes), faster exposures, and enhanced sustainability performance.

The Shine LED Lamp Kit is designed to be retrofitted on site in a few hours by a qualified electrician. ‘In our case, the installation took around five hours and went very smoothly,’ said David Jarvis. ‘There was minimal disruption to production.’

Print Quest is always on the lookout for innovative technology that delivers efficiency and quality benefits. In 2008, the company was the first commercial installation of the Flexcel NX System, and later became one of the first European tradeshop to complete the Miraclon certification programme for Flexcel NX plates. The company has also developed its own patented plate screening technology – Utopia – which relies on the exceptional reproduction and ink transfer capabilities of Flexcel NX technology to allow printers to match any colour standard while dramatically improving on-press efficiency by reducing waste and set up time.

David Jarvis says that in evaluating new technology ‘it is important that it should benefit both Print Quest and our customers, improving workflow, efficiency and quality for both parties. The Shine LED Lamp Kit meets all these criteria and is proving an excellent addition to our production.’