Agfa integrates its Apogee workflow software into plate-loading robots
Reliable investment
Getting your budget right in what is currently a difficult market is key to ensuring longevity in any sort of business. Here in print, where margins can be tight and print service providers (PSPs) are looking to squeeze every penny out of jobs, ensuring you are spending smartly is hugely important to long-term success.
This is especially true when it comes to computer-to-plate (CtP) as getting your investment wrong could be a costly mistake. Ensure you do your research properly to establish exactly what you want from your machine, how it will fit into your production setup and that it will allow you to produce high-quality work.
Here, we speak with several manufacturers in this market to find out how PSPs can make this buying process easier and what they should be looking for when investing in new CtP kit.
Quality and Consistency
First up is Agfa, which has its finger in several pies across the print market. Iris Bogunovic, product manager for plate and CtP at Agfa, says that the pandemic has caused an economic crisis and disruption across many industries, including print, which has in turn forced businesses to re-think how they conduct operations.
“By recognising the current changes and understanding how to use them, the printing industry continues to move forward, spurred by the continued shift in technology,” Bogunovic says, adding: “Therefore it’s important to build in solutions that help consume less energy, speed up production, minimise downtime, increase quality and print consistency.
“2023 is shaping up to be a year of exciting changes in the printing business. This year’s top printing trends include everything from technological advancements to an emphasis on sustainability. In order to obtain the necessary savings, to identify the routes that contribute to increased business performance and make them more agile, automation comes as a must.”
Iris Bogunovic, product manager for plate and CtP at Agfa, says automation is key for the future of CtP
Bogunovic explains that the dedicated Agfa Offset business is committed to quality, productivity, and advanced technology, offering the example of the ECO³ program that includes a number of innovations.
As a part of ECO³, Agfa Offset introduced a plate loading robot that Bogunovic says streamlines and speeds up printers’ prepress operations. The robot is custom-built according to a printer’s exact needs and can simultaneously feed multiple plate production lines.
“The set-up is especially convenient for printers that need to handle multiple plate sizes, or feed multiple platesetters at the same time,” Bogunovic says, adding: “Operations performed by robots are proven to be very efficient and reliable, with a throughput of 80 pages per hour per platesetter and uninterrupted plate production for several days for high-volume customers.
Bogunovic goes on to say automation is key for the future of CtP technology, explaining that the automation of otherwise manual, repetitive tasks such as loading plate cassettes of autoloaders, or fixing pallets on the base frame of the conventional skid loader, frees up employees’ time for higher-level tasks, elevating in their value. With a robot, the employee can instead prepare the pre-press jobs and follow up with the robot remotely, on the screen.
“Choosing a robotics solution gives the opportunity to use the most optimal plate packaging and contribute to waste reduction by up to 20%,” Bogunovic explains, continuing: “Instant improvement in efficiency, stability, and productivity always results in a reduction in overall costs. For optimal ease of use, the plate-loading robot is fully integrated with Agfa’s Apogee workflow software.
O Factoid: Research suggests that choosing a robotics solution can contribute to waste reduction by up to 20% in plate packaging O
“It will be interesting to see how the global business landscape changes over the next few years. All evidence points to the fact that streamlining and automating processes may be the most important factor in remaining competitive.
“Some of the trends will grow faster than others, and new ones will emerge as the year progresses. Staying in tune with these changes is key to surviving in today’s fast-paced, disruption-prone industry. Adaptation can be challenging, but only those who are able to change will thrive in the future.”
Reliable Solutions
Another major manufacturer in this area is Screen. Ali Safavi, CtP sales manager at Screen, says with commercial printing still the backbone of the printing industry, new and ongoing development of CtP equipment is critically important for the market moving forward.
“When it comes to CTP, these types of devices are reliable, easy to use, can produce high-quality print matters and are widely accepted by print managers all across the industry,” Safavi explains.
“Newer and more modern CtP systems will benefit from improved productivity, increased quality, in many cases a smaller footprint, and consume less energy, which then also means it makes them more environmentally friendly.
Newer and more modern CtP systems will benefit from improved productivity, increased quality, in many cases a smaller footprint, and consume less energy”
“Continuity of business and providing high-quality jobs are the most important for any business to maintain their competitive edge. Like all previously produced CtP models by Screen, our new model maintains the highest quality and reliability.”
The latest CtP solutions from Screen come in the form of the PlateRite PT-R8600NII E/S/Z, which Safavi explains gives the customer choice over productivity, and configuration from manual operation to full automation.
The PT-R8600NII E, S and Z models each offer something slightly different to the user. The Z has a 96-channel laser diode and can run at speeds of 32 plates per hour at 2,400 dpi, while the S has a 64-channel laser diode light source, an external drum recording system, and a top speed of 24 plates per hour at 2,400 dpi.
Screen’s PT-R8600NII-Z features a 96-channel laser diode light source
The third model in this collection, the E model, features a 32-channel laser diode and can run at a top speed of 14 platers per hour at a quality of 2,400 dpi.
All machines within the range have a maximum plate size of 1,160mm x 924mm and can run thermal aluminium plates at thicknesses of between 0.15mm and 0.3mm.
“All Screen CtPs are compatible with process-less plates, reducing the processing time and no need for processor and chemical,” Safavi says, adding: “CtP will continue to play an important role in the printing industry, due to its cost advantages and ROI.”
Cost-effective & Sustainable
Elsewhere and Kodak has been associated with this technology for a number of years now, providing solutions to customers around the world. Denisse Goldbarg, chief marketing officer and head of EAMER sales, at Kodak, says the key benefits of CtP technology today are that it helps to improve the responsiveness, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of offset printing.
“When modern Kodak Platesetters are combined with eco-friendly Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates and high-capacity plate loading and unloading automation, CtP becomes a fully automated, streamlined process that requires almost no manual intervention and helps shorten turnaround times,” Goldbarg explains.
“Plates are simply imaged in a fully automated process and can then be taken straight to the press. CtP with process- free plates also eliminates the defects and variability associated with conventional plate processing. This leads to more reliable press make-readies and no press downtime and paper waste due to plate processing defects. Ultimately, this means cost savings in the pressroom.
“By updating their CtP equipment or making a new investment, printers can benefit from a variety of technology advancements.”
From this, Goldbarg goes on to speak about some of the latest offerings from Kodak, namely the new Kodak Magnus and Trendsetter Platesetters, which she says offer increased plate throughput, more automation, plus significantly lower power consumption and less maintenance requirements.
“This allows for both labour savings and lower energy bills,” Goldbarg says, adding: “In addition, replacing ageing CtP systems with new technology ensures that there are no unplanned platemaking interruptions, press stops due to the need of plate remakes, and service engineer calls due to platesetter malfunctions.
“Thanks to the capabilities of state-of-the-art CtP technology, jobs can also move faster than ever from prepress to press which reduces turnaround times.”
Going into more detail about this technology, one of Kodak’s latest CtP developments is the Magnus Q800 Platesetter with T-speed Plus option, which images up to 84 plates (B1/ 8-up size category) per hour.
Kodak’s Magnus Q800 Platesetter with T-speed Plus option images up to 84 plates per hour
According to Kodak, it is the fastest eight-page CtP device on the market and is supported by automation options such as a Single Cassette Unit, Multi-Cassette Unit, Single Pallet Loader and Multi-Pallet Loader.
Also from Kodak is the automated Kodak Magnus Q4800 Platesetter, which is capable of imaging plate sizes up to 1,600 x 2,870mm for 96-page web offset presses at a throughput of 21 plates/h (at 2,870 mm plate width). Magnus Q4800 also supports dual plate imaging and, according to Kodak, is the only CTP device capable of imaging two 1,650mm-wide plates simultaneously, with a maximum plate size of 1,650 x 1,600mm at a throughput of up to 46 plates/h.
“CtP is a cornerstone of efficient offset production today and in the foreseeable future,” Goldbarg says, adding: “The signs are pointing to more automation, a simpler operation, remote control, energy savings, and greater sustainability of CtP. Along with process-free plates, we continue to invest in CtP technology and improve our Prinergy workflow software platform.
Kodak’s Magnus Platesetters are supported by automation options such as a Multi-Pallet Loader
“Kodak will continue to provide all the components of a complete prepress solution for traditional offset because we are aware that our success depends on our customers' success.”
With plenty of development in this sector, it is fair to say that there is plenty to get excited about when it comes to CtP. A tried and tested technique that is hugely popular with PSPs in markets around the world, CtP looks set for even more innovation as manufacturers look to address the ever-changing demands of the wider market.
Your text here...
