Kodak Thermal Direct vs Fuji Brilia HD Pro-T

[alborbison]

Hello, I would like to know if there are some important differences between Thermal Direct and Brilia HD Pro-T.

I know both are the processless plates now in market so they can be taken directly from ctp to press.

I only have experience with Thermal Direct and in my opinion, its weak points can be a short time to light exposure that can damage the plate if it is at daylight for more than an hour, handling sensitive and low contrast. What about Brilia HD Pro-T?

I also would like to know if comments that I have heard about a new generation of Thermal Direct are true.

Which one has better prices in your local area?

Thank you very much and sorry for my English.

 

[SteveAgfa]

al:

<snip>
I only have experience with Thermal Direct and in my opinion, its weak points can be a short time to light exposure that can damage the plate if it is at daylight for more than an hour, handling sensitive and low contrast. What about Brilia HD Pro-T?
<snip>

In these regards, the Fuji clean-out on press plate is quite similar to Kodak's. However, I suspect you'll
find Fuji's plate to be faster in exposure.

Many of the features you've noted are removed from the equation if you clean-out off press - such as in an Agfa Azura, Presstek, or Heidelberg Saphira Chem-Free clean-out unit.

There are trade-offs...
it depends whether the absolute goal is to clean-out on press, or rather, to deliver a plate to the pressroom already cleaned-out, with no issue with ambient light sensitivity nor poor image contrast.

Regards,

 

[saint]

We are looking into going "chem free" also.
I have seen shops running Kodak, Fuji and Presstek plates.
The Presstek plate uses a water rinse unit so the plates get cleaned before they hit the press.
I hear that the Fuji and Kodak cause issues with rollers since they roll up on press. Does anyone have experience with this?

Can you use the water rinse unit with the Fuji and Kodak plates to avoid contaminating the fountain solution?

I also hear that all of the "chem free" plate have short run length's (about 10,000 impressions).

 

[SteveAgfa]

Saint:

Agfa's Azura and Azura TS are rated to 100,000 impressions -
depending on press conditions.

I received an interesting observation yesterday from one of
our resellers about a recent Azura TS install...

<snip>
"I had the opportunity to install the Azura TS at one of my customers here in [US site].
The customer installed one of the newer generation Agfa Clean-out units as well.

I will have to say it is a very nice plate. Probably the best plate on the market by far.
I am very impressed. It is almost as fast as [popular no-bake thermal plate] on their
type of platesetter.

Here are some of my notes:
Plate is blue instead of green
Plate is very easy to read...
Looks just like and old conventional plate.
Plate uses a new wash gum -Azura TS Wash Gum
The gum looks like gum - an amber color
Drum Speed only about 11% slower than their existing [traditional no-bake thermal] plate.
We measured a 1% and a 99% dot at 200 LPI at 2400, reading through the gum!

<snip>

Got to love those dealers! (smile)

For more information about Agfa's Azura TS -

AGFA.com - :Azura TS

Regards,

 

[Awaltd@kodak]

Saint,

Kodak Thermal Direct Non Process Plates are developed-on-press during the startup process. Once imaged via the CTP system, the plates are easily mounted on press. Once mounted, typically 4-6 revolutions of fountain solution followed by 2-4 revolutions of ink are applied to the plate. After the first few sheets, the ultra-thin non imaged coating area has been removed through a physical process without using any chemicals and without contaminating the press. With a few more sheets the color is brought up and the press is ready to print so you don’t need to rinse the plate to avoid contamination.

Dependent on press conditions, Thermal Direct plates achieve run lengths of 100,000 impressions.

Thanks,
Awaltd@kodak

 

[beermonster]

i'm in packaging. i do NOT have a spare area to store plates - can the kodak or fuji plate be made up to three or 4 days ahead of press mount with no risk of further exposure?

before you start banging on about storing in light safe places - please dont bother, nor about making plates as they go to press - i know MY trade inside out and in real world NEITHER of those solutions are acceptable where i work

i could get a cheaper plate than what i currently use - but as far as i'm aware no other system will do it giving a maximum of 15 full waste tubs a YEAR, with no fear of press damage, no fear of excessive exposure due to time before press, ability to qc plate safely and NOT have to rely on presses as clean out machines - ohh and i can image up to 3 weeks ahead of press time (we did that in trial - worked fine)

if kodak and fuji now allow clean out units for pro t and kodaks one, why use that plate at all? there are cheaper ones - doesnt make sense

i chose my solution to reduce several things. time cleaning a clean out unit. massively reduced waste materials, and recycling cost! clean plate for press, ahead of time. my clean out unit and stacker is free - ahem - let me say that again - FREE, while i continue to use my solution

yea we've had about 260k out of some plates - less with metallics and tougher substrates. registration perfect. colour match to proof time reduced by half. make readies time reduced.

very please, and i've still got the second generation faster plate to come.

 

[cherian]

Kodak processless

Kodak processless

We can talk a lot about 'Processless Plate'. But in reality, it is a miserable & nightmare for a pressman. Press man has to do a lot of cleaning work with this plate, because the images are not clear, cannt do the ink setting. In our press, Kodak people doing R & D in this plate for a one month, still they cannt clean the plate via press, so please forget the Ink Setting. Its a clear waste of time, money, etc. Life span of this plates are too short.

Printing jobs are always urgent, cannt do with this plates urgently as colour matching is too difficult. It will damage the ink rollers as debrics are going inside the Ink rollers. Its a nightmare for a press man.

Those who arguing for this plates, really forget the Ink Setting before the printing and colour matching, will have more miserable situtation when multi colour jobs are there.

Please dont talk too much about processless plates, accept the fact and difficulties of this plate as a true Press Print Lover.

New technology should make the job much easier than before, otherwise.... no use.