Agfa Chemical Free Plates
- Thread starter jimas67
- Start date
Hopkins Printing
Well-known member
Dan, are you using Azura?
I worked at a shop that opted to adopt the Agfa Azura plate shortly after it was released. We switched from the Agfa Violet plate and chemical development to the Agfa Azura and a G&J Clean-out unit in mid 2008. Right after the changeover we had trouble matching previously printed pieces. I chalk it up to previous chemistry issues and possibly a change in the dot gain and the plate curve.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
I worked at a shop that opted to adopt the Agfa Azura plate shortly after it was released. We switched from the Agfa Violet plate and chemical development to the Agfa Azura and a G&J Clean-out unit in mid 2008. Right after the changeover we had trouble matching previously printed pieces. I chalk it up to previous chemistry issues and possibly a change in the dot gain and the plate curve.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
I worked at a shop that opted to adopt the Agfa Azura plate shortly after it was released. We switched from the Agfa Violet plate and chemical development to the Agfa Azura and a G&J Clean-out unit in mid 2008. Right after the changeover we had trouble matching previously printed pieces. I chalk it up to previous chemistry issues and possibly a change in the dot gain and the plate curve.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
The maintenance time saved and the money saved on chemistry easily outweighed the increased cost of the plate material. The Agfa Azura plates were rated for 100000 impressions but we would routinely get between 150000 - 200000 out of them. The Agfa Azura plate required more heat to develop so the drum speed of the imagesetter was slower.
The Agfa Azura TS plate, their latest, requires less heat than the earlier version so the drum speed is back up again. My shop is currently using the Agfa Azura TS plates and has been since 07/2011. We are very pleased with the Agfa Azura TS plates.
One other thing to consider; Agfa is by far the largest player in printing plates. At the time we were considering a change from Kodak Elektra XD to Agfa Azura TS, Kodak was citing an aluminum shortage to justify their supply problems. The largest player in the printing plate market is far less likely to be effected by market forces from any direction.
Hopkins Printing
Well-known member
Dan, what lifts the non-imaged area of the plate? Water?
Cleaning Gum - Agfa Azura TS Cleaning Gum...
...in a Glunz & Jensen C85 Cleanout unit.
The Azura TS emulsion is actually water soluble (if you have a plate sitting out waiting to be imaged it is best to keep it covered with the slip sheet. If you were to cough or sneeze on an unexposed plate, your spit from your cough or sneeze will create a void). If you intend to run the plate right away, you could just use water to clean it off. You need the gum to keep the plate from oxidizing while waiting to go to press.
...in a Glunz & Jensen C85 Cleanout unit.
The Azura TS emulsion is actually water soluble (if you have a plate sitting out waiting to be imaged it is best to keep it covered with the slip sheet. If you were to cough or sneeze on an unexposed plate, your spit from your cough or sneeze will create a void). If you intend to run the plate right away, you could just use water to clean it off. You need the gum to keep the plate from oxidizing while waiting to go to press.
Sick HP
Member
We use Azura TS Plates in our shop with no problems at all. Like Dan C stated the gumming unit can be a bear to clean, but it does clean up nice.... just needs all the rollers removed to do a good job when cleaning.
Hopkins Printing ~ Gum in the gumming unit cleans the non-image area.
-Dan
Hopkins Printing ~ Gum in the gumming unit cleans the non-image area.
-Dan
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