:Azura plates questions

[gordo]

I just visited a print shop that is using :Azura plates on a Creo Lotem II.
The platesetter is coated with a thin film of cyan powder that's coming off the plates. Is this normal? Will it damage the CtP?
Alo the shop runs linear plates. The curves to make the plates were created by Agfa tech. What's interesting is that there are curves in the 15%-0% and 85%-100%. They appear to be used to make larger dots in the shadows on the plate and to make the highlight dots larger. I'm guessing to help the plate/processor combo hold those dots. They don't seem to be needed for the press. Again, is this normal?

Best, gordo

 

[DCurry]

I've run a Lotem and also Azuras, but not together. On my old Lotem (400) the Kodak Sword plates were ablative and kicked off a huge amount of dust - so much that Kodak had to bolt on a special (noisy) vacuum unit to the Lotem. We ran Fuji P1 and PJ before that - they were dusty, but not as bad as the Sword.

The Azuras I ran on an Agfa (Screen) Avalon. No dust at all on that machine over 3 years of use. Very clean.

I'm sure the dust can cause damage - on the Lotem I used to have to unclog the holes on the drum every couple weeks. If you let it go too long, the plate won't get sucked onto the drum properly and there could be focus problems because the plate would be closer to the laser anywhere it's not getting full suction. Also, sometimes moisture would get into the air supply and mix with the dust and make a gummy residue in holes.

Again, though, I'm surprised to see this on an Azura plate. Maybe it's the way the Lotem works.

 

[gordo]

Again, though, I'm surprised to see this on an Azura plate. Maybe it's the way the Lotem works.

I don't believe that the model of Lotem these folks have includes a vacuum. I'll pass the info on.

Thanks, Gordo

 

[TcWA]

Hi Gordo,

If the Lotem has a thermal head they can get an option from Kodak called a UDRC, by memory they are not cheap. The ablation on these machines can dirty optics and bind up the balance system on the drum, also vacuum holes on the drum become clogged and may cause out of focus errors. From experience it can also put alot of debris in the V groove for the carriage and cause imaging artifacts.

Good Luck

 

[VladCanada]

I've never met too much cyan powder in :Azura + :Accento combination, just some, plus aluminum powder and some "regular" dust... but not to much to be critical

 

[Hopkins Printing]

Hi Gordo,

We are considering a switch from Agfa's :Amigo plate to :Azura and we were told that Azura is more ablative than Amigo so if we switch, we should add Agfa's vacuum mod kit to our platesetter (Agfa AvalonN8-50).

Hope this helps,
hp

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Puzzled

Puzzled

Gentlemen,


Questions: 1) pedantic - why the Colon? - 2) Azura, non-ablative plate - YES - NO



Regards, Alois

 

[gordo]

Gentlemen,


Questions: 1) pedantic - why the Colon? - 2) Azura, non-ablative plate - YES - NO



Regards, Alois

The colon respects Agfa's nomenclature.

Best, gordo

 

[VladCanada]

Gentlemen,


Questions: 1) pedantic - why the Colon? - 2) Azura, non-ablative plate - YES - NO



Regards, Alois

1) As we discussed before - why iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac? The same reason.
2) ThermoFuse technology is NOT ablative.

 

[lfelton]

Gordo - we use Azura TS with a Screen 4300S and I've never seen any cyan powder in over 2 years of use, so no, not normal in my experience.

 

[Baldbug]

Hi Gordo,

Hope this helps,
hp

We are considering a switch from Agfa's :Amigo plate to :Azura and we were told that Azura is more ablative than Amigo so if we switch, we should add Agfa's vacuum mod kit to our platesetter (Agfa AvalonN8-50).

We've just switched from Azura to Amigo this last week or so. We are getting too much plate wear using the Azura on older Heidelberg presses, MO's and S-line press we supply for our trade services. Plate wearouts were at about 20,000 max. All the tests were done on the Acento IIS and everything is calibrated correctly by Agfa Techs.

 

[tomcatinc]

:Azura has very little dust that flys off. In last 5 years I worked with original :Azura and :Azura TS. I worked on 3 CtP systems: Presstek Dimension Excel 425, Presstek Dimension 800 and Screen PTR-4100. All these machines had some :Azura and :TS dirt after some time but not as nearly as from other plate types. :Azura and :TS produce enough dirt that you have to clean the machine after 1500-2000 plates (ie 300-500 sq m) - this cleaning is just wipeing of optics and rollers. There is no significant dirt on other mechanical parts. Azura can leave light green traces, certanly not cyan. Cyan (in worst case Blue) can come from some Kodak plates - Electra XD and Excel are blue and when in traces they look like a cyan dust on silverish metal parts and on optics.
I don't use any vacuum on any machine: Pressteks have vacuum installed for their ablative technology yet they are turned of when using :Azura. Screen does not have nor does it need it.
Bear in mind that Thermofuse is negative writing technology: more laser power means better thermofusing of image particles. If your power is insufficient, it could produce plates whose particles are not well bonded with supstrate (my opinion). I guess that too much laser can lead to some other issues but I never had them. Bear in mind that :Azure requires more power then positive plates (look at specs). Screen CtP's can produce more power by slower imaging. Also :Azura TS requires less energy (and therefore can be imaged faster) then original :Azura but lasts less.
Also, :Azura is pretty sensitive to too much preasure on press.
Try to play with this and you can find the balance that would work for you. With :Azura you eliminate one step in troubleshooting: there is no developing issues! And that is what I like with this plate a lot!

 

[georgev]

Amigo and azura plates

Amigo and azura plates

Your problem is because you are using less laser power than the plate needs.
Try with more laser power or less speed.
George

 

[rotarypower3]

We've been using Azura for about 4.5 years now. Really makes a mess of the inside of the machine. Screen PTR4300 running at 650rpm, 100% laser power.

 

[Baldbug]

No mess inside our Acento IIS after 4 years still spotlessly clean. We run 100% power and about 700rpm, MO plates, GTO 46 and 52's.

 

[Santa]

Have a Acento here running Azura for better part of 5 + years. Zero dust.