DIGITAL PLATES — LESS IS MORE
THOSE DETRACTORS who claim that computer-to-plate (CTP) technology has not completely delivered on its promise might be lacking in big picture perspective. Like complaining that a cellular phone service provider doesn’t always generate “enough bars,” or the phone itself is now obsolete because it doesn’t take pictures, people often fall into the trap of wanting the next great technology.
After all, does anyone miss the early days of composition? Have fond memories of pasting up boards, shooting them, developing film and burning/punching plates?
Looking at it from the perspective of traditional prepress, there is a little room for forgiveness in noting that not all digital plates are truly process- or chemical-free from platesetter to press. The purveyors of digital plates note that many loopholes are being closed in the CTP process. It helps to maintain a little perspective, notes John O’Rourke, director of product marketing for CTP at Presstek.
“The value proposition for this technology is an extension of the value prop for CTP—reduction/elimination of process steps, labor/material cost savings and reduced waste generation,” O’Rourke says. “The universal, worldwide adoption of CTP demonstrates that this is a powerful value proposition. We believe that the market preference for chemistry-free plates will continue to drive product development and we’ll see more chemistry-free plate products from all major vendors.”
Market demand has had the greatest influence on the manufacture of digital plates, O’Rourke states. An anticipated increase in demand, he believes, will prompt manufacturers to bolster allocations of their research and development resources.
Presstek seems to be acting upon market demand, given its rollout of Anthem Pro at the IPEX exhibition earlier this year. With its Pro graining, which is said to provide improved inking and wetting latitude and enhanced performance, Anthem stakes a claim at being a true chemistry-free thermal plate, requiring no developing chemistry and just a simple post- imaging rinse. The used rinse water is drain-friendly.
Plate Handling Demands
Demands in the finishing and packaging processes are wielding a level of influence on the plate market, adds Jim Crawford, group manager of consumables products for Enovation Graphic Systems (Fujifilm). With the CTP market maturing to include a greater span of users among a wider demographic base, Crawford points out that the number of product SKUs is increasing, along with requests for customized packing put-ups.
“Efforts are made to accommodate these requests as they fit into normal production methods, and if the product performance warranty can be sustained,” he says. “As a manufacturer, Fujifilm spends a great deal of time studying the emerging needs of customers’ packaging requirements for shipping, storage and final use.”
The company has begun shipping its Brillia HD Pro-T thermal, negative-working processless plate. Pro-T features a multi-grained aluminum substrate and is formulated for exposure by 830nm thermal platesetters without a productivity hit. It has a resolution capacity of 1-99 percent at 200 line screen and supports Taffetta 20 FM (frequency modulated) screening.
The Brillia HD Pro-V negative-working violet plate made its debut at IPEX 2006, but won’t be available until 2007. The Pro-V requires only a gum rinse step after exposure before the plate goes to press.
Other digital plate offerings from Fujifilm include the positive- working Brillia HD LH-PJ for web or sheetfed, with an enhanced multi-grain structure for strong ink/water balance performance; the Brillia LH-PSE positive thermal plate for the long-run web market; and the Brillia LP-NV negative- working photopolymer plate designed for use with violet platesetters.
Kodak’s first venture into the world of true processless thermal plates is its Thermal Direct, which doesn’t require a processor or special chemicals. In fact, notes Jack Wiethoff, global product leader for digital plates at Eastman Kodak, customers are struck by the plate’s simplicity and have either “mothballed” their processors or chucked them out completely.
Feedback Drives R&D
Feedback from both customers and field support helps drive the research and development efforts at Kodak, Wiethoff says. That also opens the door for improving existing products, such as the Sword Excel thermal plate.
“Sword is designed to work well with both IPA (isopropyl alcohol) and alcohol substitutes on-press,” Wiethoff says. “With its patented coating, we have been able to achieve better scratch resistance and longer run lengths without the need for preheat or post-baking. We recently enhanced the graining structure to reduce the ink/water settings to allow presses to run cleaner. We have also improved our preheat plates to provide more latitude and consistency for our customers.”
Kodak offers a full line of plates in addition to the Thermal Direct and Sword Excel, including the Thermal Gold, Electra Excel and Thermal News, as well as Violet Print and Violet News for violet imaging environments.
The migration toward short-run color has impacted the manufacturing of plates, notes Don Rogers, consumables product manager for Heidelberg USA. “But the resurgence in FM and hybrid screening are requiring plates to support very high resolutions for 20 micron FM screening and up to 400 lpi for hybrid screening,” he says. “Both technologies allow our customers to differentiate themselves from their competition.”
Heidelberg’s Saphira violet high-resolution plate is designed for the Prosetter line of violet CTP devices. Likewise, Saphira Chemfree and Saphira Thermoplate NA are available for the Suprasetter line of thermal platesetters.
Going forward, Rogers sees subsequent enhancements geared toward enhanced productivity, resolutions to support the latest screening technologies and environmental concerns. “We can also expect these plates to address longer run lengths and baking options, as well as improved support for harsher UV inks and chemistries in the future,” he adds.
The issue with plate technology designed to go directly from the platesetter onto the press is that current pressroom processes rely on visual inspection, which is not possible with competitive low/no contrast processless technologies, points out Susan Wittner, marketing director for Agfa Graphics, North America. Chemistry-free, she adds, offers a more practical alternative.
Agfa’s first chemistry-free, thermal product, Azura, bowed in 2004 and has more than 900 installations worldwide. Its first processless offering, Thermolite, was unveiled at Drupa 2000. Energy is the company’s new general purpose thermal plate, which can be exposed by any 830nm thermal platesetter and can be processed in virtually any processor with the Energy Developer. Amigo is designed to provide the benefits of ThermoFuse to a broader audience of higher run length and VLF printers.
Agfa also introduced its violet photopolymer chemistry-free plate running live on its :Avalon LF violet platesetter during IPEX. Commercial release of the violet plate is slated for late 2007.
Other digital plates from Agfa include the Thermostar P970 and P971, engineered for medium-to-long run lengths.
Mitsubishi Imaging offers the Silver DigiPlate polyester plate solution for four-up commercial printers, notes Frances Cicogna, marketing director. Enhancements made to the product have provided for enhanced resolution, improved backing and better register- holding capability, among others. PI
The Price Is ‘Wrong’
The cost of aluminum and other elements that comprise plates are on the rise. How much of an impact is this having on the overall market? Our panel of manufacturers weighs in on the subject.
Tom Saggiomo, president, Agfa Graphics: The recent increase in aluminum prices has been so significant that litho plate manufacturers have had no choice but to raise plate prices. However, technology advances, including chemistry-free plates, automation and other process improvements, help printers keep their overall costs in line. While the printer’s urge is to treat plates like a commodity, plates are really a technology product that can offer different performance depending on the type and brand of plate utilized. Different plate solutions offer different levels of total cost of ownership. At Agfa, we are sustaining our R&D investment in CTP technology to ensure that we help our customers to stay ahead.
John O’Rourke, Presstek: We have seen aluminum costs increase along with rising energy costs. Aluminum, however, is a an excellent substrate for offset printing plates. Proven alternatives to aluminum, such as polyester, are petroleum-based and have a cost basis that is linked to oil prices. Also, silver has increased in recent months. Coupled with higher transport and delivery costs due to increases in oil prices, cost increases for prepress materials are virtually universal and apply to all printers.
Jim Crawford, Fujifilm: Rising aluminum costs are definitely affecting manufacturing costs and end-user pricing. In addition, uncertainty over the future of aluminum prices continues to be an area of concern and, since aluminum production requires so much electricity, rising energy costs deliver an additional layer of price uncertainty. Rising energy costs also influence the rising costs of plate packaging and distribution, i.e., carrier shipping costs. Fujifilm spends a lot of effort to have packaging that protects plate products as they transport through the rigors of the distribution process.
Jack Wiethoff, Kodak: When you have cost increases of the magnitude we have experienced, it is virtually impossible for any plate manufacturer to absorb those cost increases. The cost of aluminum and energy have been widely publicized, and plate suppliers have no choice but to pass these higher costs on to customers.
For More Information
on digital plates, visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter the numbers below.
Agfa Graphics 375
Fujifilm 376
Heidelberg USA 377
Eastman Kodak 378
Mitsubishi Imaging 379
Presstek 380
