Independent
newspaper publisher Mortons Print of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, Great Britain,
added a new developer to its line of computer-to-plate equipment from Fujifilm
Graphic Systems.
The
publisher recently completed its three-month trial of Fuji’s LP-DZ Developer
and LP-DRZ Replenisher on one of its CTP lines. Mortons also plans to convert
its second CTP line to LP-DZ chemistry.
According
to Fuji, the new development chemistry reduces replenishment usage by 50
percent, resulting in significant cost savings. In addition, Fuji said the lower
waste effluent levels of the developer are kinder to the environment.
Mortons
has been a Fujifilm customer since June 2000 when the publisher first began
using the Brillia LP-NN2 CTP plate, according to Jim Lee, production director.
“We’re
using 50 percent less replenisher and it benefits the environment because we
have to dispose of 50 percent less waste,” he said.
Mortons
was also the U.K. trial site for Rethmann’s Recomasys waste management system,
which was exclusively developed among Rethmann UK, Fujifilm and Mortons. The
system takes waste developer, wash water and gum and converts it into a waste
stream that can be disposed of directly to a drain. Following several months of
trial, Mortons Print has fully converted both if its CTP lines to the waste
management system.
Northcliffe
chooses Fuji plates
Meanwhile,
The Northcliffe Press Hull in the UK, a division of the the Northcliffe Group,
chose Fujifilm’s VNN-E
conventional plate for The Hull Daily Mail and Sports Mail papers. Following
successful trials, Fujifilm will supply 70,000 plates to Northcliffe over the
next 12 months.
Northcliffe
cited faster startup times, less remakes and cleaner chemistry as reasons for
choosing the plate. The Fujifilm HD-N2 developer will allow the publisher to
process other suppliers’ plates as well.
