The new :Polaris XCV-S systems will output approximately 35,000 plates per week in three different single plate sizes and two panoramic plate sizes. The plates will supply Westferry's 18 Goss presses, which print around 23 million copies per week for titles such as The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, Daily and Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday, The Guardian, The Observer, Financial Times, Daily and Sunday Sport, Nikkei, Lloyds List, and numerous other contract titles.
Westferry had been looking at moving to CtP for a number of years, explained Bill Wenman, chief executive of Westferry Printers.
"We waited for violet technology as we believe that it offers a number of advantages, such as longer life of the diode and lower cost of replacement," said Wenmen. "For the past three years we have consulted all the major manufacturers and conducted in-depth trials, but in the end it came down to Agfa. They simply put forward the most attractive all-round package. This is a major investment for us and we had to make the right decision. All of our customers are looking forward to the improved quality and later offstone deadlines that will be achieved," he added.
The first :Polaris is scheduled to be installed at the end of June and all of the equipment should be fully operational by October.
"Westferry has always been a very important customer for Agfa, so when they decided to make the move to CtP we were delighted to be able to meet their requirements," explained Laurence Roberts, director, Agfa Graphic Systems UK. "And of course they will continue to receive the full support of our unrivalled, dedicated newspaper teams."
This is the second high-profile contract for Agfa's UK group in recent months, following the installation of four :Polaris XCV-S systems at the Trafford Park plant, which is jointly owned by Guardian Newspapers Limited and the Telegraph Group Limited.
About Westferry Printers.
Westferry was established in 1986 when it decided to move the printing of the southern editions of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph from Fleet Street to a 12.5 acre site in London's Docklands.
Westferry was one of the first national newspaper printers to lead the printing industry from Fleet Street into new print techniques, from the latest in information technology through to highly efficient professional working methods. This vision has paid off: today Westferry is one of the largest and most efficient printers of national newspapers in Europe, if not the world.
About Agfa.
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading imaging companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems, intended mainly for the graphics industry and the healthcare markets.
Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is active in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world. Together they achieved a turnover of 3,762 million euros in 2004. Product and company information can be found on Agfa's home page on the World Wide Web at: www.agfa.com.
Editor contact:
Johan Jacobs
Corporate Press Relations Manager
+32-3-444-80-15
Marc Verbiest
PR Manager
Graphic Systems
+32-3-444 4101
