What is the Acento?
It’s a B2 internal-drum thermal platesetter designed for smaller and mid-sized commercial printers.
Why did you choose this particular platesetter?
The ability to use the chemical-free Azura plates was a big factor – the plates just go through a scrub bowl and gumming unit and they’re ready. Basically, there are no chemicals to dispose of, making it labour-saving. And of course there is the environmental aspect.
Did you look at any other similar machines?
We looked around for a good couple of years while continuing to use film. We held back from buying other platesetters as we didn’t want to use chemistry. Luckily Agfa gave us the opportunity to be the first in the country to beta-test both the Acento and the Azura plates. We’ve had the machine for two-and-a-half years now and haven’t looked back.
What features do you particularly like?
With the 50-plate cassette loader, you can take the interleaves out, pop the plates into the cassette and then leave it to load automatically. Some might think that having to remove the interleaves every time is a pain, but doing it that way means you don’t get any jams – unlike the platesetters on the market that automatically remove the interleaves. Everything else is controlled from our Mac upstairs. The plates are punched, imaged on the drum and then passed through a gumming unit. We run them overnight and they are ready the next morning.
What features do you dislike or wish it had?
I could say a bigger cassette loader, but they are available should we want one.
How fast is it?
It’s adequate for us. It makes around 13-14 plates an hour on a high-quality setting.
What’s the quality like?
The Azura plate produces an amazingly sharp dot. We run it with Sublima, Agfa’s screening software, which increases the mid-tone area giving a sharper, more open print.
How much time and money has it saved?
We used to have a full-time platemaker, so it has saved £30,000 a year instantly. Job commands are now controlled by the Mac operator. We’ve also saved on chemistry purchase and disposal costs as well as the downtime spent cleaning the processor.
Has it won you new work?
We do a lot of work for Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, so it helps having chemistry-free plates. We are ISO 14001 and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited, and are keen to continue developing the environmental aspects of our business. The quality of the plate has helped us win work from printers as well. Recently, we did a series of wet proofs of ultra-fine fibres for one client. Our images were holding every single minute fibre, whereas the printer who had been doing the work didn’t get anywhere near the same detail.
Were there any difficulties experienced during installation or after?
As we were beta-testing, we expected to have a few issues, but we didn’t get any. We kept our old imagesetter running just in case, but after three months we realised we hadn’t used it so it was decommissioned and sold.
What about the service?
Agfa had somebody here keeping an eye on the machine in the first couple of weeks, making sure it was all functioning, but he never really had to do anything – it was a bit of a holiday for him really.
In conclusion who do you think the machine is right for?
It suits anybody producing between 300-600 plates per month. For small B2 commercial printers with a turnover around the £1m mark, it is perfect.
And under what circumstances would you buy another?
I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another if we needed it. I think we are ahead of the game with it anyway – it’s still a new technology. It would take something quite special to make us look at an alternative plate or platesetter.
CONCLUSION
User’s verdict
Speed 5/5
Quality 5/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s response
“Crown Litho is the longest running user of both the Acento and Azura plate. From that point of view we are very pleased that it is still happy with them,” says Agfa UK plate product manager Mike Loose. “I think the level of automation that the Acento offers took Crown Litho into a new era, and at the same time, choosing the Azura plate has helped it gain some key clients. The company was there right at the beginning of processless, but it has become mainstream now. Since Ipex alone, for example, we have sold 20 machines.”
Price From £65,000
Contact Agfa UK 020 8231 4929
