SMP expands flatbed operation with Agfa M:Press Leopard investment

The Charlton, London-based business has taken delivery of the 1.6mx2.6m machine to improve flexibility when handling short- to medium-run jobs.

SMP was the first in the world to order the new Leopard flatbed, which complements its Agfa M-Press Tiger installed in 2009.

According to Mark Turner, director of SMP Group, the company has been experiencing growing demand for short-run, wide-format digital print.

He said: "Around 25% of our work is 50 sheets or less and the Leopard is a production unit that is ideal for these smaller quantities.

"It provides us with the flexibility to switch from one job to another very quickly as well as changing media."

The M-Press Leopard, launched at Fespa last year, is a smaller, manual version of its M-Press Tiger flatbed inkjet press.

The flatbed incorporates the same inkjet shuttle technology as the Tiger, meaning it can match the Tiger for print quality and speed, and is intended for jobs that require more manual handling.

SMP's investment in the Leopard has also helped cater for burgeoning demand for double-sided display printing, which Turner said is the "best solution" he has seen for the application.

The press, which can handle substrates up to 5cm thick, integrates Agfa's Apogee workflow at the print and fulfilment business.

Turner added: "Both the M-Press Leopard and M-Press Tiger machines use the same Anuvia UV ink from Agfa. The machines put down only a thin layer of ink to achieve the desired result.

"These are major benefits which enable us to deliver the best value digital print per square metre as well as absolute colour consistency."






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