The latest eight-colour Speedmaster XL106 perfector completed commissioning on 24 May. Like its twin, which was installed last July, it is configured with Cutstar reel sheeter, Inpress colour control and Autoplate XL simultaneous plate changing. Buxton managing director Kirk Galloway said the company, which prior to the installation of the first XL last summer had been an all KBA house, was delighted with the performance of the XLs. “When combined with our existing four KBA long perfecting presses, [the XLs] will completely revolutionise Buxton’s overall output capabilities,” said Galloway. He added that the company was already looking at its next press install as part of its commitment to completely revamp its press hall with a new machine every other year up to 2018. The Derbyshire magazine printer has also created “several new positions” as a result of the second installation. The press spend is the centrepiece of a £20m re-equip that the firm hopes will help support its strategy to boost turnover to £30m. “The new generation of presses offer significant improvements in terms of make ready times, paper and ink usage, lower power requirements and simplified maintenance, factors which when combined not only assist us in reaching our capacity targets but also allow us to maintain print pricing stability for our clients – a win win combination in our very competitive market sector,” said Galloway. “A further investment in press number three is already on the cards,” he added. As well as the £7m Drupa spend on the two Speedmaster XLs the firm also re-equipped its bindery with a substantial investment with Friedheim International....

The new pink, white and beige inks join the existing Zircon range of blue, yellow and brown. The oil-based range is compatible with the single pass, four colour Xennia Ultramarine ceramic tile printing system and with other “major digital ceramic printing machines”. The inks can be used for printing on both fired tiles and a range of unfired glazes. The range’s USP is a colour strength and density previously hard to reach on single pass digital printers, said Xennia. “Zircon white, pink and beige show strong colour vibrancy and high opacity. The inks offer a high level of colour stability across a wide range of glazes, eliminating colour differences between wall and floor tiles,” said Olivier Morel, Xennia’s chief technology officer. “The wider gamut achieved when using Zircon colours allows the designer to reveal the finer details in the highlight and shadow areas that are embedded in marble, stone, wood pattern effects which has previously not been visible,” added Morel. The Xeninx Zircon range are priced between £10-£40 per kilo depending on volume and colour....

The latest eight-colour Speedmaster XL106 perfector completed commissioning on 24 May. Like its twin, which was installed last July, it is configured with Cutstar reel sheeter, Inpress colour control and Autoplate XL simultaneous plate changing. Buxton managing director Kirk Galloway said the company, which prior to the installation of the first XL last summer had been an all KBA house, was delighted with the performance of the XLs. “When combined with our existing four KBA long perfecting presses, [the XLs] will completely revolutionise Buxton’s overall output capabilities,” said Galloway. He added that the company was already looking at its next press install as part of its commitment to completely revamp its press hall with a new machine every other year up to 2018. The Derbyshire magazine printer has also created “several new positions” as a result of the second installation. The press spend is the centrepiece of a £20m re-equip that the firm hopes will help support its strategy to boost turnover to £30m. “The new generation of presses offer significant improvements in terms of make ready times, paper and ink usage, lower power requirements and simplified maintenance, factors which when combined not only assist us in reaching our capacity targets but also allow us to maintain print pricing stability for our clients – a win win combination in our very competitive market sector,” said Galloway. “A further investment in press number three is already on the cards,” he added. As well as the £7m Drupa spend on the two Speedmaster XLs the firm also re-equipped its bindery with a substantial investment with Friedheim International....

The new pink, white and beige inks join the existing Zircon range of blue, yellow and brown. The oil-based range is compatible with the single pass, four colour Xennia Ultramarine ceramic tile printing system and with other “major digital ceramic printing machines”. The inks can be used for printing on both fired tiles and a range of unfired glazes. The range’s USP is a colour strength and density previously hard to reach on single pass digital printers, said Xennia. “Zircon white, pink and beige show strong colour vibrancy and high opacity. The inks offer a high level of colour stability across a wide range of glazes, eliminating colour differences between wall and floor tiles,” said Olivier Morel, Xennia’s chief technology officer. “The wider gamut achieved when using Zircon colours allows the designer to reveal the finer details in the highlight and shadow areas that are embedded in marble, stone, wood pattern effects which has previously not been visible,” added Morel. The Xeninx Zircon range are priced between £10-£40 per kilo depending on volume and colour....

The company said strong growth in its ceramic tile printing products between January and May 2013, had contributed to a projected 50% year-on-year increase in its full-year revenue, to £86.3m. It follows a record year in 2012 with revenue increasing by 26% on 2011 and a 74% increase in adjusted pre-tax profits. Chief executive Ian Dinwoodie said: “All applications are growing in industrial, packaging and graphic arts. The strongest growth is in ceramic tile decoration where we are seeing a major and significant industry shift from analogue to digital – the fastest and highest penetration we have ever seen – which we expect to continue for the next three years or so.” Dinwoodie said that despite the global economic crisis, Europe had also continued to show fairly strong growth, but that the real acceleration was in China. “China is picking up very strongly for ceramic tiles now because half of the world’s ceramic tiles are produced there. We are definitely moving in the right direction,” he added. In its trading update Xaar said it was accelerating research and development investment “to expand the conversion potential of analogue processes to digital inkjet across a range of markets”. The company said it would invest more than £12m in R&D in 2013, but added that while the growth in R&D was expected to broadly match the percentage increase in revenue, a higher rate of revenue growth would result in a strong operating margin. Meanwhile, the company’s expertise in 3D print technology has led Xaar to be included in one of 18 projects announced last week as the winners of £14.7m worth of investment. With £8.4m to be funded through the government’s Technology Strategy Board and a further £6.3m to come from private sector investment, the funding has been committed to further the development of 3D technology for manufacturing industries. Xaar is working with a consortium including FaraPack, Unilever Central Resources, BAE Systems, Cobham Technical Services and Marker Block on a project that will develop structural parts for industries including FMCG and aerospace. Xaar’s will develop and deliver specialist printheads as well as knowledge and expertise in additive manufacturing to the project. Dinwoodie said: “We’ve been involved in 3D printing for over 10 years and there is a lot of hype about it at the moment. “This project is some years away from commercialisation but it is interesting that money is being pushed into it and we will continue to support the consortium and see what it develops into. “For us 3D print revenue is a number of years away but it could well be a growth area. Like many of these advanced manufacturing applications that are emerging there isn’t that much business...