An introduction to digital print will run alongside the existing intermediate course run by the academy, based at Walsall College, and will look at software, basic colour management, materials and printing techniques. Costs and duration of the course are being finalised but it will be open to anyone in print. Roland Academy and creative centre manager Joe Wigzell said: “The course is aimed at people new to the industry or those who have maybe bought a smaller or second-hand machine. A typical course has up to eight people per class and we could be looking at the same numbers. “We found varying levels of experience on the intermediate course and felt, for some people, the intermediate level was a bit too far forward; it would be good to take a step back and be given a bit more of an overview of the industry as well as some hands-on work.” The Roland Academy offers a range of courses for printers and sign makers looking to either up-skill or refresh their technical and industry knowledge. Other courses include basic application and finishing and vehicle wrapping It also runs Roland Boot Camps, one-day training courses focused on teaching users how to maximise their investment in Roland products such as the VersaStudio BN20 desktop printer. Wigzell said he wanted to roll out these courses to newer equipment as and when launched. Based at Walsall College for seven years, the academy has educated hundreds of sign makers and printers and “is a core part of the commercial proposition at Roland”, according to Wigzell. Meanwhile, Walsall College has been awarded an “outstanding grade” by Ofsted. It is the first further education provider in the UK to receive the outstanding grading under Ofsted’s new inspection framework. For further information on upcoming courses visit www.rolanddg.co.uk/support/academy....

The CG-SRIII Series plotters, targeted at sign makers and especially businesses working with vinyl or garments, will be launched at Fespa next month in London, confirmed sole UK distributor Hybrid Services. The series, with speeds of 70 to 100cm/s, comprises the successor models to Mimaki’s CG-60SR and CG-100/130SRII cutting plotters. The CG-60SRIII has an effective cutting area of 606mm, the CG-100SRIII an area of 1,070mm, and the CG-130SRIII an area of 1,370mm. The three new plotters feature cutting pressure of 500g, increasing the range of materials that can be used. A doubled curve-cutting speed offers improved productivity and makes complicated cutting tasks easier, according to the manufacturer, and cutting accuracy is ensured with a continuous crop mark detection system to enable precise contour cutting. Hybrid Services marketing manager Duncan Jefferies said the series would be commercially available in the UK from the end of June and would cost from just under £1,000, making it an “affordable, faster high-quality plotter”. He added: “Cutting accuracy makes this kit stand out. Mimaki has always had an enviable reputation for cutting plotters. The brand is synonymous with high quality cutting.” Mimaki EMEA general marketing manager Mike Horsten said: “Their refreshed design and many new functions open up a wide range of new revenue opportunities for sign manufacturers while still keeping prices affordable.” Hybrid Services said to further improve productivity and ensure seamless unattended operation, the new CG-SRIII Series plotters offered remote monitoring where notification of completion of cutting or errors were e-mailed to ensure maximum throughput and uptime. Mimaki has been making cutting plotters for 25 year and models include the 60cm wide desktop CG-60 and a 160cm wide professional production model called the CG-SRII/CG-FXII....

The CG-SRIII Series plotters, targeted at sign makers and especially businesses working with vinyl or garments, will be launched at Fespa next month in London, confirmed sole UK distributor Hybrid Services. The series, with speeds of 70 to 100cm/s, comprises the successor models to Mimaki’s CG-60SR and CG-100/130SRII cutting plotters. The CG-60SRIII has an effective cutting area of 606mm, the CG-100SRIII an area of 1,070mm, and the CG-130SRIII an area of 1,370mm. The three new plotters feature cutting pressure of 500g, increasing the range of materials that can be used. A doubled curve-cutting speed offers improved productivity and makes complicated cutting tasks easier, according to the manufacturer, and cutting accuracy is ensured with a continuous crop mark detection system to enable precise contour cutting. Hybrid Services marketing manager Duncan Jefferies said the series would be commercially available in the UK from the end of June and would cost from just under £1,000, making it an “affordable, faster high-quality plotter”. He added: “Cutting accuracy makes this kit stand out. Mimaki has always had an enviable reputation for cutting plotters. The brand is synonymous with high quality cutting.” Mimaki EMEA general marketing manager Mike Horsten said: “Their refreshed design and many new functions open up a wide range of new revenue opportunities for sign manufacturers while still keeping prices affordable.” Hybrid Services said to further improve productivity and ensure seamless unattended operation, the new CG-SRIII Series plotters offered remote monitoring where notification of completion of cutting or errors were e-mailed to ensure maximum throughput and uptime. Mimaki has been making cutting plotters for 25 year and models include the 60cm wide desktop CG-60 and a 160cm wide professional production model called the CG-SRII/CG-FXII....

The HSE investigated after a 39-year-old member of staff, working at the Northern Tissue Group’s papermill in Lancaster, was injured when a walkway collapsed underneath him. Lancaster Magistrates’ Court heard that the member of staff had been helping to hose down machinery, during a two-week shutdown at the factory, when he tried to cross a mezzanine floor six metres above the ground. The metal grating gave way and the staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, fell partway through, hitting his arms and jaw on the floor and suffering bruising and friction burns. A subsequent investigation found that there were no suitable inspection and maintenance regimes in place for checking the floor, despite it being at risk of rusting due to the humid environment. NTG was fined £10,000 and asked to pay £5,866 in costs. HSE Inspector Anthony Banks said: “The employee was lucky he was able to grab onto the mezzanine floor as he fell. If he had fallen all the way to the concrete below then he could have been killed. “The incident happened in a very humid area of the factory and the company should have done more to make sure metal grates, which make up the walkway, didn’t become unsafe. “Companies shouldn’t just wait for employees to be injured before taking any action to improve safety. It’s vital that proper maintenance systems are in place to protect...

The Nassenger Pro 120 has a new printhead maintenance system and is a high-performance inkjet textile printer with double the printing speed of the Nassenger PRO 60, which was launched last year at ITMA. The new model, which has a footprint of 15sqm, runs at 120sqm per hour and has independently-driven, water-based high-density inkjet printheads with a nine-colour ink gamut. The printhead maintenance system meanwhile, has been made to enable smooth overnight or continuous long-run printing. The manufacturer claims that the printheads’ independent drive system allows simultaneous emission from each nozzle to realise high productivity. “This system ensures stable printing quality and contributes to reduction of the workload for the operator,” said a spokesman. “Nassenger PRO 120 also has a dryer and textile winder to realize a total inkjet printing solution that incorporates unwinding, printing, drying and winding...