DIGITAL PLATESETTERS -- The Write One

The cost of laser replacement is a trickier issue. Manufacturers like to talk about the rated life cycle of these components, but straightforward comparisons of the numbers may be misleading. Laser diodes, such as violet units, can be switched on and off very quickly and the manufacturer's rating only refers to the time the diode is active. Therefore, less of the diode's life expectancy is used up imaging each plate, so it can image more plates than other laser sources per hour of its rated life cycle.