The violet CTP unit punches, exposes, washes and dries plates from a roll of polyester material at a rate of up to 20 B2 plates an hour at 2,540dpi or 40 plates an hour at 1,270dpi. In addition to the standard 0.2mm guage polyester plate material, which is supplied in 61m rolls and used for B3 plate production, Mitsubishi has developed a thicker 0.3mm guage material on 41m rolls to enable the production of more rigid B2 plates. The CTP unit has the capacity to hold two rolls at one time, allowing rapid switching between different guage materials, for instance. Apex managing director Bob Usher said: “We have a long association with polyester plates. When treated with care polyester plates should provide for print runs in excess of 20,000 with no great problem. “This new Mitsubishi unit comes along at just the right time for us. We see it filling a gap in the market vacated by the DPX series of machines that we were selling. Over 500 units of that model were installed in the UK and so we believe that there is certainly a market for this new unit – especially when printers are seeking more environmentally friendly products and more cost effective production solutions.” Pricing for the VDP-4 was not available at the time of writing....

Earlier this week the Prime Minister promised to crackdown on the issue and launched a consultation on the continuing problem of late payment, and its detrimental affect on the UK’s SME businesses. In his letter Scanlon welcomes the move, and says: “Perhaps he [David Cameron] would mention this to Lin Homer, chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs, which was 20 days late in paying an undisputed value added tax refund of £261,788 to our group last month and is currently nine days late in making a further undisputed payment of £933,860.” Scanlon told PrintWeek that government departments should be brought into the Prompt Payment Code, which at present is aimed at big businesses dealing with smaller companies. “A lot of print companies are net recipients of VAT and HMRC takes so long to pay it. If it was the other way around we would be suffering surcharges,” he said. “For smaller companies who need the money in, it all ends up being passed down the line.” Wyndeham chief executive Paul Utting, who is a constituent of Business Secretary Vince Cable, has written to the Lib Dem cabinet minister. In his letter Utting states: “HMRC is delaying payment because it can. This is an effective way of forcing businesses such as ours to make involuntary loans to the Treasury… It is disingenuous in the extreme of the Government to preach the virtues of timely payment while itself squeezing its creditors until the pips squeak.”...

Earlier this week the Prime Minister promised to crackdown on the issue and launched a consultation on the continuing problem of late payment, and its detrimental affect on the UK’s SME businesses. In his letter Scanlon welcomes the move, and says: “Perhaps he [David Cameron] would mention this to Lin Homer, chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs, which was 20 days late in paying an undisputed value added tax refund of £261,788 to our group last month and is currently nine days late in making a further undisputed payment of £933,860.” Scanlon told PrintWeek that government departments should be brought into the Prompt Payment Code, which at present is aimed at big businesses dealing with smaller companies. “A lot of print companies are net recipients of VAT and HMRC takes so long to pay it. If it was the other way around we would be suffering surcharges,” he said. “For smaller companies who need the money in, it all ends up being passed down the line.” Wyndeham chief executive Paul Utting, who is a constituent of Business Secretary Vince Cable, has written to the Lib Dem cabinet minister. In his letter Utting states: “HMRC is delaying payment because it can. This is an effective way of forcing businesses such as ours to make involuntary loans to the Treasury… It is disingenuous in the extreme of the Government to preach the virtues of timely payment while itself squeezing its creditors until the pips squeak.”...

Xaar said that Q3 sales segmentation, by application and by geography, was in line with those reported at the half-year and that its full year revenue and profit expectations remained unchanged. The Cambridge-based inkjet technology firm’s balance sheet at 30 September 2013 included net cash of £56.6m, up from £49.4m at so June 2013 and £28.9m at 31 December 2012. Meanwhile, the manufacturing expansion plan, announced in the first half of 2013, was said to be on track to deliver the planned increases in capacity during the remainder of 2013 and the first half of 2014. Xaar will hold a Capital Markets Day for investors and analysts in London on 28 November 2013 to explain how its technology disrupts and adds value in the end markets in which it operates and to highlight the long-term potential of its technology. Xaar’s share price, which has rocketed more than 215% in the past year on the back of upgrades to its full-year revenue target in April and June, was down 2.4% at the time of writing at 787p....

Xaar said that Q3 sales segmentation, by application and by geography, was in line with those reported at the half-year and that its full year revenue and profit expectations remained unchanged. The Cambridge-based inkjet technology firm’s balance sheet at 30 September 2013 included net cash of £56.6m, up from £49.4m at so June 2013 and £28.9m at 31 December 2012. Meanwhile, the manufacturing expansion plan, announced in the first half of 2013, was said to be on track to deliver the planned increases in capacity during the remainder of 2013 and the first half of 2014. Xaar will hold a Capital Markets Day for investors and analysts in London on 28 November 2013 to explain how its technology disrupts and adds value in the end markets in which it operates and to highlight the long-term potential of its technology. Xaar’s share price, which has rocketed more than 215% in the past year on the back of upgrades to its full-year revenue target in April and June, was down 2.4% at the time of writing at 787p....