of large industrial sites as they use little energy, control the humidity accurately, and help to reduce temperatures in the summer months as well.” RGP has installed systems at the facilities of leading UK carton and packaging manufacturers and suppliers including Graphic Packaging International, Minuteman Press (MMP), and Smurfit Westrock. The company also supplies high pressure and steam units for the small- and mediumsized digital press rooms of many of the UK’s commercial and specialist printers. When it comes to choosing the right humidification system for a print environment, Guthrie stresses the importance of fully understanding the print process of the space that is being humidified. As he explains: “Different processes require different project approaches and humidity levels, but in all cases consistency day-today and throughout the process from plain paper to packed product is key. “It is vital that the systems are well-sized to cope with changing weather patterns and possible production expansions or changes. It is pointless to install an undersized system or system that doesn’t deliver humidity to the space that’s best for the printing process it is helping.” Guthrie suggests that high-pressure coldwater humidifiers are often the ideal system for print plants, as they can cope with large air volumes and help with summer cooling. However, as he asserts: “It is vital that water treatment systems are correctly designed to avoid mineral dust, which is why we supply Condair devices which use state-ofthe-art water treatment on all their units to eliminate this.” RGP aims to offer a complete solution for the print providers they work with, including detailed analysis of the company’s facilities and output, full installation, and support with regular service contracts and call outs for the entire lifetime of the systems. For Guthrie, the role of intelligent technology is key in modern humidifiers. As he puts it: “With margins squeezed and printers consistently being pushed for efficiency savings, it is vital that modern systems are not only efficient but show through data links to the customer’s building management system (BMS) or production computer systems how they are performing. This will allow for adjustments to maximise the positive effect on production output.” Looking to the future, Guthrie believes that both environmental and industrial changes will have a significant impact to the kind of humidification needed in the coming years. He concludes: “I think the future for humidifiers will be very interesting with a changing climate and print processes rapidly evolving. “I see that versatile modular systems are going to be key. Low energy consumption is going to be a deciding factor for many clients as well. As we believe that Condair make some of the most innovative low energy systems on the market, we feel very positive about the future.” HUMIDIFICATION SYSTEMS | JONATHAN PERT The Condair EL can provide up to roughly 40kg of steam per hour 40kg ▼ RGP offers maintenance support for the entire lifetime of its systems 46 Issue 359 - March | April 2026 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk
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