Burlington, MA (October 19, 2001) - Norwegian printer Larvik Litho in Larvik has increased the production levels of its Xeikon DCP 50D digital press by 30 percent on the majority of work put through the press, thanks to the installation of a Digital Color Unwinder from Roll Systems. In addition to improved output, the company benefits from being able to purchase paper stock much more economically. "We've been operating the Xeikon for three years but installed the Roll Systems equipment only a few months ago," says co-owner Atle Nordaunet. "We first saw the unwind system at drupa and we were immediately impressed by the concept and what it offered in terms of increased production and cost savings in materials. Certainly, since its installation the Roll Systems equipment has lived up to all our expectations. "We run the Xeikon eight hours a day and over the last three months have produced more than one million A4 color sheets. The majority of this is printed on 120 to 250 gsm paper stock. The rolls that fit on the Xeikon unwinder cost us 20 NK per kilo ($105 per CWT) yet we can purchase larger rolls, of the same 50 cm width, for use with the Roll Systems Unwinder for only 12 NK per kilo ($64 per CWT). This is a significant saving in material costs." The company uses the Roll Systems equipment for about six hours in every eight hour shift, during which it is used in runs that last anything from one minute to four hours. The 50 inch diameter rolls used in the Roll Systems Unwinder last around ten times longer than the smaller rolls which fit the Xeikon feeder, so downtime is reduced significantly. About half of Larvik Litho's work is for advertising agencies, with most of the remainder being for local businesses and in-house publicity departments. Jobs range from posters and banners to report and accounts. The company says it is experiencing a huge interest in digital print services, and expects a 30 per cent growth on this side of the business during 2001. Larvik Litho has been in existence for 25 years, offering a range of design and pre-press services. The company moved into digital printing with the installation of a Xeikon DCP 32 in 1997 and has recently created a digital photographic studio. "There are many features of the Roll Systems Unwinder that we like, in addition to the improved productivity and ability to reduce paper costs," says Mr. Nordaunet. "The unwinder is very easy to operate, with paper rolls quickly changed using a straightforward tapered chuck system that eliminates the need for compressed air and heavy shafts. We purchase our paper rolls from a variety of countries and these arrive with different core sizes, so the Roll Systems chuck device is very efficient." "We don't use the Roll Systems equipment on all our work but I could see that if a company was consistently producing work such as books they could use the unwinder constantly. Even using it on about 70 per cent of jobs, as we do, the benefits are enormous. With the digital print side of our business expected to continue to grow the Digital Color Unwinder will play an even more important part in ensuring that our workflow is as efficient as possible."