Agfa's chemistry-free newspaper CTP bundle includes the Advantage N-TR XXT platesetter, N94-VCF chemistry-free plates and the high-speed VXCF85 clean-out unit.

The configuration, which debuted at the Vienna trade show, is billed as a high-volume, heavy-duty system that Agfa said was "the only CTP system available for the newspaper market that offers continuous, unattended monitoring and reporting of all engine operating parameters".

The Advantage N-TR XXT features an IR webcam installed inside the engine, which provides operators with live, online monitoring of the plate handling, preventing unexpected production stops. The platesetter can output up to 300 plates an hour.

Agfa's N94-VCF plate is designed for newspaper printers and coldset printers and is rated for run lengths of up to 200,000 impressions. The VXCF85 clean-out unit uses a pH neutral clean-out solution and is capable of matching the Advantage N-TR XXT's output speed.

Emiel Sweevers, marketing manager Newspaper Equipment at Agfa Graphics said the package was aimed at newspaper printers that are exploring opportunities in the "semi-commercial [print] market and therefore need to match higher print quality standards".

Meanwhile, Agfa has expanded its commercial CTP offering after signing an OEM agreement with violet CTP manufacturer FFEI and has been selling a violet version of its Avalon N8 platesetter, the Avalon VN-8 - for use with Agfa's Azura-Vi plate - in Europe since the start of the summer.

According to Ralph Hilsdon, head of product marketing at Agfa Graphics, the company does not plan to sell the Avalon VN-8 in the UK at present. "Our local sales organisations decide whether or not to offer it, based on local market opportunities," he explained.

"Whereas in newspapers violet still has a very strong position, in commercial print it's very mixed: in some countries it's just used by entry-level companies while in others there are still quite a lot of visible machines in the mid-market."