how often do you calibrate?

wonderings

Well-known member
We have a Presstek Dimension excel, had it for close to 12 years now. The lasers are getting old, and it needs to be adjusted constantly. We were running the presstek anthem plates, but are in the first days of our switch to the kodak sonora plates. Some bugs to work out, but seems like a much better plate. Anyways, my real question is how often do you have to adjust laser settings in your ctps? Been battling serious banding and dirty plates for a while now. Hoping that is mostly gone with these new plates, but worried this will be an ongoing problem. We battle through it, but if I was to work on this, I would be calibrating and adjusting everyday to try and keep things level. Now this is an older machine, I am wondering how the newer/new units are for stability in this regard? No idea really what is out there other then Screen which I have seen mentioned a few times.

At the moment just trying to get a better understanding on what is out there and how well they operate, as in very little maintenance needed.
 
I've used several different platesetters over the years - Creo (Kodak) Lotem 400, Presstek Dimension 800, Agfa Avalon N8 (Screen device), Trendsetter, and now Kodak Achieve and the only one that ever needed calibration (other than during intial installation or due to switching plates used) was the Presstek.

I only used the Dimension for about 3 months before we replaced it, but the guy who worked there before me was constantly having to adjust and calibrate the thing, practically from Day 1 over the course of several years. Management finally had enough and replaced it with the Avalon and life was easier for everyone.
 
I've used several different platesetters over the years - Creo (Kodak) Lotem 400, Presstek Dimension 800, Agfa Avalon N8 (Screen device), Trendsetter, and now Kodak Achieve and the only one that ever needed calibration (other than during intial installation or due to switching plates used) was the Presstek.

I only used the Dimension for about 3 months before we replaced it, but the guy who worked there before me was constantly having to adjust and calibrate the thing, practically from Day 1 over the course of several years. Management finally had enough and replaced it with the Avalon and life was easier for everyone.

Thanks for the info, I am starting to think like I should be putting this idea forward. With these Kodak plates it will be even harder to calibrate as you cannot really see anything on the plate till it goes on press. Thinking it might be more of a headache with banding and lasers that need to be constantly adjusted.
 
I'm running the Sonora plates right now on the Achieve platesetter. There's just enough contrast on it to be able to give a visual inspection to the plate and know which separation it is. Not nearly as much contrast as the Anthem or the Agfa AzuraTS.

Our pressmen like the Sonora plate.
 
Also, we've had the Achieve platesetter with autoloader for the past year and it's pretty nice.
 
Unfortunately the Achieve platesetter cannot do commercial or publications quality FM screening so that door will be closed to you. :-(
 
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