According to report Market Opportunities for Direct-to Technologies 2004-2009, produced by CTP specialist Vantage Strategic Marketing (VSM), thermal platesetter sales grew by 23%, nearly double the 12% rise of violet in 2003-2004.
Worldwide CTP sales grew 19% to 5,400 in 2004, with thermal machines making up 3,600 or two thirds of the total. Thermal B2 machines outsold visible by nearly two to one, while in B1 it was three to one. Thermal plates make up 70% of total CTP plate sales. Digital plates now account for 40% of the 500m m2 of annual global plate consumption.
In the UK the balance between thermal and visible was far more even with thermal accounting for 53% of installs and violet 47%. VSM principal Barry Happ attributed the strength of violet in the UK to Agfa's strength in the market, but also contributions from Fuji, Heidelberg and local CTP developer HighWater.
He added that thermal would remain dominant as the plates cost less than violet and that processless would also provide a boost to thermal sales in the future.
Story by Barney Cox
VSM: thermal rules over violet
Thermal is still the technology of choice in the global CTP market, according to the latest research, although in the UK it is a close run battle with violet.
