Computer to plate & plate processors

Agfa Graphics
www.agfa.com
Stand 11/CD220
New B1 and B2 machines will take centre stage on the Agfa stand, with the B1 low-energy Avalon N8 thermal machine and the B2 Avalon V4, a violet unit that works with the firm’s new processless violet plate Azura V.

Basysprint
www.basysprint.com
Stand 11/C230
An automated version of its 850 series eight-page machine, the 857 will get its debut at Ipex, following the launch of the firm’s B2 and B1 machines at Drupa 2008. Basysprint argues there is still innovation in conventional plates and that for volume users, there are cost-of-ownership arguments in favour of using conventional plates exposed digitally.

EskoArtwork
www.esko.com
Stand 12/C150
According to the firm, HD Flexo is a cost-saving necessity, not a luxury. The technique combines 4,000dpi optics with proven screening technology, which makes it possible to reproduce the full tonal range of offset while maintaining simple implementation. There’s no need to edit images, tints are smoother and easier to print, while makeready sheets required to get to colour are reduced by two-thirds.

Glunz & Jensen
www.glunz-jensen.com
Stand 9/D320
Glunz & Jensen will be launching mid-range plate processors, Gecko, for violet polymer and thermal plates. The PlateWriter inkjet CTP technology, which produces press-ready aluminium plates without the use of chemical processing, will also be on show along with the InterPlater 85P HDX High Speed, a new plate processor targeted at high-end newspaper installations.

Kimoto
www.kimoto.ch
Stand 9/E331
Kimoto and UK dealer Haynes Graphic Arts will be showing the Kimosetter 525, a B3 platesetter that uses UV inkjet technology to image polyester and aluminium plates at 1,080dpi. The results are processless plates suitable for runs of more than 20,000 with a 155lpi screen.

Kodak
www.graphics.kodak.com
Stand 9/E320
Flexo and process control are Kodak’s areas for innovation at Ipex. A direct laser engraving machine, the Flexcel Direct, which can image sleeves, plate-on-sleeve and flat plates will be shown as will enhancements to the Flexcel NX thermal flexo plate system, including Digicap NX screening, which is claimed to improve density and contrast. Offset CTP gets a boost with process control tool Intelligent Prepress Manager, which allows for remote monitoring of platesetters and ancillary loading, unloading, conveying and processing kit, to ensure maximum uptime.
 
Lüscher
www.luescher.com
Stand 9/D359
Lüscher will focus on its multi-material machines with the launch of the Multi DX flatbed platesetter. This flatbed machine can image any type of UV-sensitive plate or screen up to a maximum size of 800x600mm and a maximum thickness of 50mm, making it possible to produce letterpress, flexo and varnish plates, ablation film, Gallus Screeny screens, and flat screens for screen printing. Waterless and conventional UV offset plates can also be exposed. The ability to produce plates for these diverse printing technologies in a single machine is unique, and, according to the company, enables printers that use multiple printing technologies to digitise plate production. Lüscher will also reveal its XPose! 4Flex 230 internal drum platesetters, a new version of its recently launched internal drum UV machine that can expose litho and flexo plates.

Presstek
www.presstek.com
Stand 7/C480
New products on show include the DPM Pro 400, an automated polyester platesetter, and Dimension Pro 400 series of B2 metal thermal CTP, which can image up to 43 plates per hour. The Dimension Pro series of platesetters image Presstek’s chemistry-free Aurora Pro and processed Aeon thermal plates, as well as other thermal media.

Screen
www.screeneurope.com
Stand 7/E460-7, 10/C290, 09/C300
The new PlateRite 8000N series improves speed and reduces power consumption delivering a 12.5% boost in productivity using 28% less power per plate, reducing running costs and carbon footprint. Topping the range of B1 machines is the 36 plate per hour PlateRite 8000N-S. (See Star Product, p34).


Plates

Agfa Graphics
www.agfa.com
Stand 11/CD220
Azura V, Agfa’s violet no-process plate is the big launch at the show, which it believes will provide a new lease of life to the violet CTP market and a welcome cost-effective route to reduced environmental impact plates for smaller firms. Like the thermal Azura TS, a washout and gumming step is all that is needed to make the plate press-ready. Buyers will benefit from the washout unit costing half that of a typical processor and being much simpler to maintain. Many older platesetters can run the photopolymer violet plate, as long as they have a laser with an output above 5MW, and many processors can be modified as washout units.

Beijing Keyin Modern Printing Technology
www.bjkeyin.net
Stand 9/E351
Beijing Keyin Modern Printing Technology was the first big, state-owned enterprise in China engaged in the R&D, sales and production of CTP plates, platesetters, UVCTCP plates, so its stand will be well worth a visit.

Bridgehead
www.bridgehead.cn
Stand 6/D502
Bridgehead, another Chinese firm, is an exporter of offset printing and CTP plates including positive and negative PS plates, positive thermal CTP plates, violet-laser photopolymer CTP plate, as well as CTCP plates and graphic arts film.

DuPont
www.cyrel.eu
Stand 12/C150
DuPont Packaging Graphics will exhibit the Cyrel Fast round system, a hardware and consumable solution that delivers continuous print flexo sleeves.

Foleitech
www.foleitech.com
Stand 9/C381
Hong Kong-based Foleitech produces positive and negative PS plates, thermal positive CTP and CTCP plates up to 1,140mm wide and from 0.15mm to 0.30mm thickness.

Fujifilm
www.fujifilm.co.uk/gs
Stand 9/CD360
It’s steady as she goes for Fuji. Having launched Pro-V at Drupa and Pro-T at Ipex the firm’s range of chemistry-free plates was already the industry’s widest.

IBF Corporation
www.ibf.com.br
Stand 9/E321
A new processless plate will be shown by IBF for launch in June. IBF is the fourth-largest offset plate manufacturer worldwide, producing thermal and violet photopolymer digital plates and conventional plates located over a 37,000m2 site in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an annual production capacity of 38million m2.

Kodak
www.graphics.kodak.com
Stand 9/E320
The only one of the big three plate companies now not to have a violet no-process plate in its portfolio, Kodak’s focus remains on thermal and at Ipex it will unveil Trillian, a robust plate that reduces the need for, and energy used to, bake long-run plates.

Longma Aluminium Group
www.longma-al.com
Stand 9/D380
New for Ipex are CTCP plate, Thermal CTP plate and a high-speed UV-CTP plate. The firm’s main products are positive PS plates, negative PS plates, CTCP plates, high-speed CTCP plates, non-process CTCP plates and non-preheat thermal plates.

Mitsubishi Paper Mills    
www.mitsubishi-paper.com
Stand 11/D226
On show will be the chemistry-reduced polyester printing plate, Polymer Digiplate, which is designed for B3 and B2 violet CTP systems and processless Thermal Digiplate system (TDP) and is a fully-automatic 2-up platesetter. The TDP plate is a paper plate with a resin coated paper base. The latest generation of Silver Digiplate SDP-FRS will be demonstrated with the new, fully-automated DPX-6 Eco platesetting system with integrated, environmentally-friendly eco-developing unit. The optimised printability of the polyester plate will be demonstrated live on a press.

Ningbo Hans Derun Digital Printing Plate Technology
www.printerplate.com
Stand 9/C368
New for Ipex are a thermal CTP plate and a faster conventional PS plate.

PNE Print Technology
www.pneprint.com
Stand 9/D386
Details are limited at the moment, but this Chinese firm will be showing new CTCP and thermal CTP plates at Ipex.

Presstek
www.presstek.com
Stand 7/C480
New for Ipex is the Aeon, which is the company’s first processed plate. With the launch of Aeon, Presstek has broken from its heritage as the processless pioneer just as everyone else goes the other way. Aeon offers run lengths of up to 200,000, and its sensitivity, peaking at 830Nm, means it can be used on a wide-range of third-party platesetters and not just Presstek engines. The third party-manufactured Aeon thermal processed plate marks Presstek’s attempt to break free of its chemistry-free niche and into the mass market.

Shanghai Strong State Printing Equipment
www.shqiangbang.com
Stand 9/D383
This is the manufacturer of Strong-branded positive PS
and thermal CTP plates. New for Ipex is the STP-I Thermal CTP plate, which the company claims offers stable performance, high sensitivity, good dot-reproduction and sharp dot edge.

Taizhou Dongfang Printing Plate
www.eastps.com
Stand 9/D387
New for Ipex will be a PS plate and a thermal positive CTP plate.

The Second Film Factory of Lucky Group
www.hgfilm.com.cn
Stand 9/D382
The Second Film Factory of Lucky Group is the largest producer of photographic materials in China. Its product range includes CTP thermal plates, CTP violet photopolymer plates and conventional PS plates. At Ipex, the company will be showing its violet photopolymer plates and has an eye on growing its share of the global market.

Ultrachem
www.ultrachem.co.uk
Stand 7/D459
Ultrachem will be launching Ultraplate CTP and Violet plates.

VIM Technologies
www.vim-technologies.com
Stand: 11/E220
JT Direct Plate can be imaged on a standard Epson inkjet printer. Available on polyester and aluminium, it provides B3 and B2 printers with CTP without having to invest in a platesetter. Printers supported include the 3800, 4880, 7880 and 7900 models. Plates are imaged using Epson’s Ultrachrome K3 or HDR ink so the warranty is preserved and the printer can still be used for proofing.

Xingraphics Co
www.xingraphics.com
Stand 11/E226
Xingraphics will launch the Fit Eco primo processless thermal plate, the first of a new generation of true process-less thermal plate technology. The plate uses phase-change technology previously championed by Creo where the plate coating’s surface properties are changed on exposure to create the lithographic surface rather than relying on a grained aluminium base. However, this first version of the technology is still on a grained aluminium base. With a run-length range of 20,000-50,000 impressions it’s not ideal for long runs and the low 300mS sensitivity means there will be a significant speed penalty over processed, and most non-process plates.

Zhejiang Konita New Materials
www.konita-hk.com
Stand 9/D370
This company will launch a range of new plates at Ipex, including conventional and CTP.


Process control & colour management

Alwan Color Expertise
www.alwancolor.com
Stand 11/E234
Alwan has launched its Print Verifier, a tool for buyers to check the ISO compliance of their proofs and print and halved the price of its Print Standardizer software for printers.

Bodoni Systems
www.bodoni.co.uk
Stand 9/C391
A new version of PressSign adds the ability to ensure any instruments used within your workflow to measure colour agree with each other and can be kept inline over time. It also adds support for spot colours and a consistency measuring tool, that will help firms aiming to work towards the UK ISO 12647-2 standard.

Centurfax
www.centurfax.co.uk
Stand 11/E240
Centurfax has followed up its original dotmeter, the CCDot, with the EasyDot. As the name suggests it’s an easy-to-use dotmeter, to help ensure your plate output is spot on.

GMG
www.gmgcolor.com
Stand 9/E322
GMG will be highlighting its colour calibration tool SmartProfiler, which is designed to simplify the process of ensuring accurate colour across multiple digital printers regardless of imaging technology, substrate and ink. 

GTI
www.gtilite.com
Stand 11/C243
GTI will introduce the Softview model SOFV-1xi for accurate colour soft-proofing on the desktop. The SOFV-1xi brings a host of advancements to desktop colour viewing and enables the most accurate visual side-by-side comparisons between a monitor’s colour image and a hard copy print or proof. A unique optical design delivers outstanding light uniformity over the A2 format viewing surface. Digital control of light intensity allows optimal visual agreement between the monitor and print.

Heidelberg
www.uk.heidelberg.com
Stand Hall 8
A new version of console-mounted press sheet scanning spectrophotometer Image Control, the extension of Inpress Control to Speedmaster SM 102/CD102 presses and the launch of PDF Inspection Control and Netprofiler head up Heidelberg’s colour and process control tools at the show.
Prinect Inspection Control uses high-resolution cameras to monitor and document a run using the supplied PDF to check the first print sheet before approval to print. Up to 15 minutes per job can be saved by automating manual reconciliation with the planning sheet. Depending on the number of jobs and repeats per sheet, users can expect to see their productivity improve by up to 17%. They will also have less paper waste and benefit from greater reliability in production.

Just Normlicht
www.just-normlicht.com
Stand 11/D244
The Just LED Color Viewing Light and Just LED colorControl using new LED technology achieve ISO 3664 standardised viewing conditions. Able to replicate almost any light spectra with a CRI between 90-100 and a metamerism index of less than 1, luminance can be controlled with the Just USB Interface. Other features include the ability to measure viewing conditions in multiple locations, and duplicate them spectrally to allow accurate colour comparison between multiple locations and companies.


ColorFlow

Agfa Graphics
www.agfa.com
Stand 11/CD220
Agfa’s workflow pre-show announcements centre on the launch of Apogee Media 6, a workflow tool for publishers. The new version includes a dashboard for viewing a publication’s status and an interactive flatplan. (See Star Product, p29.)

Mellow Colour
www.mellowcolour.com
Stand 9/D364
A new version of the firm’s PrintSpec software for managing colour reproduction to ISO 12647 and other standards will be launched at the show, although it’s tight-lipped on the details.

QuadTech
www.quadtechworld.com
Stand 6/C520
QuadTech will be showcasing the Color Control System with Instrument Flight and SpectralCam for precise colour management and register guidance system with MultiCam.

QI Press Controls
www.qipc.com
Stand 6/D566c
Automated press control tools including colour and cut-off register control, closed-loop colour control and automatic fan-out control will be on display on the QI stand. A web based MIS production database, the Intelligent Quality Management system, completes QI Press Controls’ portfolio.
Techkon
www.techkon.com
Stand 11/D244
Techkon claims the SpectroJet revolutionises automatic measurement cutting set-up time, paper waste and increasing print quality. ExPresso software helps users to adhere to standards such as ISO 12647 and Gracol G7.

VeriVide
www.verivide.com
Stand 10/C267
The Fenestra proofing console gives an even illumination of the copy deck with an unobstructed view. Colour Control Cabinets’ unique concave viewing deck eliminates specular reflection, allowing accurate colour and quality control.

X-Rite/Pantone
www.xrite.com, www.pantone.com
Stand 10/D260
EasyTrax is X-Rite’s newest semi-automated colour scanning system. The affordable, semi-automated press side colour control tool supports up to six-colours and streamlines processes while reducing makeready time and materials.

Proofing

Roland DG
www.rolanddg.co.uk
Stand 12/C140
Roland DG’s Versa-UV LEC 330 UV-cured inkjet printer is being promoted as an ideal device for packaging pre-press firms who want a lower-cost and higher speed method of creating accurate proofs, including white and varnish onto a wide range of flexible media. It even offers the possibility of doing dot proofing. A number of proofing RIP vendors will be working with Roland at Ipex to show the system in action. (See Star Product, p33.)

Digital Information
www.digiinfo.com
Stand 11/C239
The latest generation of its double-sided proofers for four- and eight-page formats the Preproofer series the 770/970 and 790/990, based on Epson Stylus Pro 7700, 9700, 7900 and 9900 printers, are twice as fast and higher quality than earlier machines.

EFI
www.efi.com
Stand 11/F223
EFI’s Web Control Center (WCC) is a hosted service that allows the output of proofs at remote sites to be monitored and managed against quality targets. All Fiery XF RIPs for proofing and digital output can be integrated with the tool. (See Star Product, p30.)

Epson
www.epson-europe.com
Stand 10/C260
First outing for the WT7900 with white ink for labelling proofing applications, which will be shown with CGS, EFI, GMG and StarProof RIPS.

Kodak
www.graphics.kodak.com
Stand 9/E320
More proof of Kodak’s push into packaging with an enhanced version of its halftone thermal proofing system optimised for the packaging market. n
The Approval NX is optimised to work with the Flexcel NX platemaking system, and Kodak promises a raft of enhancements that will enhance productivity.