The deal for the Chinese plate manufacturer’s range takes place as Manroland is also unveiling its Printcom range of consumables, which are being launched locally for the first time.

The Xingraphics agency covers its thermal range of plates, Fit Xtra Melior and Fit eCO Primo, as well as Xingraphics-branded platesetters, which are OEM PlateRite machines from Screen.

Manroland sales and marketing coordinator Allison Whitelaw said the Printcom range was already well-established in Europe and the US.

“The Printcom products must all get Fogra approval then go through one year of rigorous testing at Manroland in Germany,” she said.

Manroland has hired new technical consumables manager Ben Hickey, who most recently worked for Ferrostaal.

Hickey said that while Xingraphics was a relatively new player in the market, “it’s not a new product”.

“The market is price driven at the moment. People are looking for a high-quality plate at a reasonable price. Xingraphics falls into that category,” said Hickey.

The Xingraphics range will continue to be distributed locally by Ferag, though Hickey said they weren’t in competition.

“We’re concentrating on the sheetfed market while I believe Ferag is more large-format and web customers, magazine customers.”

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