Toray Graphics and the HEIGHTS Group of Companies have reported ongoing success with their marketing and development partnership for plate processors dedicated to the processing of Toray Waterless Lithographic Plates. “We began working with Toray about six years ago,” said Elinor Robinson, Sales Director at HEIGHTS. “Toray was seeking a European partner with whom it could collaborate to manufacture plate processors to its specifications in order to provide a locally manufactured solution rather than importing all their equipment from Japan. We’ve had a terrific relationship since then and are looking forward to continuing to work together.”
The companies now offer three jointly-developed plate processor models:
- TWP 1250 News – the most recent joint development, dedicated to newspaper productions, with high capacity and heavy-duty processing.
- TWP 1250 – for commercial printing with all IMPRIMA waterless plates (max. size of plate 1250x1800mm).
- TWP 680 – for commercial printing with all IMPRIMA waterless plates (max. size of plate 660x810mm).
HEIGHTS is well-known in the graphics business, manufacturing equipment for a number of well-known industry players. “We are completely dedicated to the graphics business as a company,” Robinson added. “While we have diversified into some other market segments, we view these businesses as a means to support and stabilize the fluctuating revenues we see in graphic arts.”
Despite fluctuating revenues and ongoing consolidation in graphic arts, Mike Millea Senior Sales Consultant for HEIGHTS is bullish on its future. “We believe waterless offset has a great future,” he said. “Larger presses, especially web presses, are not as likely to be affected by a move to digital printing, and we are focused on processors for those larger format presses, with virtually no small-format equipment in our line-up anymore. In addition, we are especially pleased with the opportunities we see for ongoing business in the newspaper industry, particularly with the ability to replace older competitive equipment with our more modern and efficient solution. Other niche markets we believe are ideal for waterless printing, and Toray plates include security printing and metal decoration printing, both nice growth opportunities.”
Millea also points out that, as more companies seek to reduce their environmental footprint, the waterless offset will continue to gain steam. “We are working with Toray on future solutions,” he commented. “We are discussing a number of projects that we believe will move the segment forward.”
“With the opening of our new R&D centre in Prostějov,” said Mitsunori Hayashi, Sales General Manager of Toray, “it will be easier for us to move innovative projects along quickly with partners like HEIGHTS. We look forward to welcoming them on-site in the near future and continuing our excellent working relationship for the benefit of both companies and of our customers.”
