UV ctp and pl;ates

[beermonster]

fellow trench fighters - unite and discuss


i got a gig ioverseeing the installation of ctp at a local packaging company. they've already done research and have a system narrowed down, and their prepresser has decided to leave - hence me getting the call. 2 x komori 6 colour UV presses - B1.


they've almost decided on an agfa system which i think uses the energy elite plates - i don't know what the ctp unit is though.


so - in box number one:


is that plate any good? any issues - anything at all?


box 2:


what alternatives do i have to that plate as it uses dev etc and isn't too "green". it must be a UV compatible plate. i'd prefer a chem free set up - greener, lower maintenance, easier maintenance etc - what's my options? will consider other vendors plates


box 3:


2 presses - best to profile the presses and proof to that or get presses to match proofs - i think they have some kind of kodak proof system


info is sketchy i know - i only got the call last week and i'm due to head back in sometime this week to get more information and spend some time there. anthing i've missed? having been out of prepress in packaging for a year if i've missed anything lemme know!

[Joe]

Box 3. IMO you would be better off to fingerprint the 2 presses to the proofer. But the proofer should be set up to some type of standard, ie...SWOP, Gracol, G7 or whatever.

[frailer]

I'm headed to PrintEx here, Sydney, tomorrow, to try and see Pro-V (Fuji) chem-free plates spit out, and ask questions. I'm fed up with cleaning alkaline (read 'barnacles' on some rollers), tanks, even though it's only every 6 weeks...I hate it.
I'll ask about UV compatibility for you.

Shall PM you a link, the only thing you've really missed, TBH.   :evil:    Great to see that cat again... she's evil. Like the girl in The Blues Bros.

[Farabomb]

Box 3: We went the other way at the suggestion of Kodak. Run a test form up to density and your standard running conditions and Kodak makes a profile so the proofer matches the press. Now was this in our best interest or Kodak's I'm still not sure. At the time we had one press so maybe it was the way to go but after Kodak found out we were not going to use their proofing paper they said they can't guarantee the proofs would match. We have now changed almost everything and I'm using the same profile and we are amazingly close. Your mileage may vary.

We use the Fuji LH-PJ right now with minimal issue and I know from the salesman that he has the same plate at UV places with little issue. I inquired about the chemical-less plate (think it's the one Frailer is talking about) and he told me it's not the best fit for our shop. I'm quite interested in what Frailer finds out at the show.

[beermonster]

cheers mate - yeah i'm sure frailer will come up with the goods- or we wont bung another shrimp on the barbie maaaayyyt!

i did have a squizz at fuji plates - not sure how the land lies with me possibly changing their agfa deal coz i was liking the chem free idea after using azura chem free plates - but basically i hate dev baths!

i need more info when i go back in anyway, and the agfa techs were awesome when i used em before

[frailer]

My attendance at PrintEx delayed until tomorrow [Thurs].  Best laid plans of mice and...

Yeah, have had a few good 'shrimps' lately.    :grin:

[Farabomb]

With my gout I'm not supposed to eat shrimp. I'm also not supposed to drink beer but fat chance of that.

I hear really good things about the Azura TS plate and if we do make a change again it will probably to that plate. I have Pittman (owned by AGFA now) in my backyard and they come sniffing every 6 months with promises of price matching. We haven't had a reason to switch yet and Fuji really takes care of us so they have our loyalty right now.

[dledbetter]

+1 for the Azura TS plates you do have to clean a gumming unit.... but much easier to deal with than LapV

[DigiCorn]

+1 for the Azura TS plates you do have to clean a gumming unit.... but much easier to deal with than LapV

Can't sing the praises of the Azura TS enough. You can have this thing spotless, 1-man, in about 2 hours... that's including removing all the rollers and scrub brushes. Just cleaned ours yesterday afternoon.

[gnubler]

You did all that? Just one guy? I hope you rewarded yourself afterward with a session of online poker or a crossword puzzle.

[David]

he did that while he was doing the cleaning... he's badass

[gnubler]

He said "1-man"...who was he referring to?  :laugh: Prolly his intern who runs around doing shit work while The Corn does "research" online.

[David]

you're right, it is a one man job

[frailer]

Well beer, short answer. Fuji Pro-Vs good for UV. Proviso being shorter run-life. On, say, a 200,000 run-life, you'd be looking at 70,000 instead, conservatively.
Same most likely applies across other vendors/plate types. Some may query this, of course.
Got the spiel on Fujifilm's Lo-chem processor, which processes the Pro-V. I can't wait to give the old high-alkaline the flick. You shouldn't have too much trouble talking to Fuji over your way. Peterborough's prolly just over the hill from you....   :laugh:

[beermonster]

holy cow Peterborough IS literally 20 mins up the road.

Fuji UK however are in Bedford in the UK which is 10 mins up the road. I've had demo's at fuji uk several times - nice place actually - their set up is almost half the damm industrial estate it's on!