The "100% Creo-developed" WL is a waterless polyester plate which is suitable for DI presses, such as those from Heidelberg and Ryobi is a direct competitor to Presstek's PearlDry Plus. It is good for up to 30,000 impressions and according to Creo chief executive Amos Michelson it is the "highest sensitivity" plate of its kind on the market.
Michelson said the plate would go into a short beta test of three months after Drupa and then into full production. "We have not yet decided on distribution," Michelson said. "It seems to make more sense to go direct. We know the name of every user of the [Heidelberg] Quickmaster DI."
It will compete head-to-head with the Presstek PearlDry Plus and its derivatives offered by Presstek's OEMs. Presstek, which supplies the imaging head for most DI presses is fiercely protective of its market and took legal action against Fuji last year over the Saphira Caleidoplate it developed for Heidelberg as an alternative to PearlDry Plus.
The PL aluminium version is a switchable polymer plate and is good for up to 50,000 impressions. It is being shown as a technology exhibit only at the show and further details of it will be released by the end of the year. The two new plates join the Creo PTP, Mirus PN, Fortis PN and various analogue products, in the Creo plate portfolio.
Creo is also showing its new VLF platesetter, the Magnus, which is being targeted at the publications and commercial markets. The device is available in four format sizes and can image plates ranging from 50.8cmx39.4cm to 160cmx210.8cm.
With an imaging speed of 15 2,050x1,510mm plates per hour at 2,400dpi, Creo claims it is the fastest machine of its kind on the market. When smaller plates are used it can image up to 30 per hour. Two models are being shown at the show, one with a continuous load option and the other with multi-cassette automation.
Transcontinental Printing near Vancouver in Creo's native Canada has been named as an early user of the Magnus.
An enhancement for Creo's other VLF platesetter, the Trendsetter, has also been unveiled. The new ContinuousLoad option for the 4-up and 8-up devices includes a new load table on which a plate can be pre-staged for loading while another plate is imaging, as well as a fully automatic unload table.
Story by Lauretta Roberts at Drupa
