Need help with N94-VCF plate set-up

[gordo]

The Agfa working instructions (Version 4.0) for setting up plate exposure are very unclear or we're getting bad installation set up information. Can you help?

The platesetter is an ECRM Newsmatic CtP.

The instructions state:
Exposure criteria: UGRA 1982 step2 solid (a test target film strip to be exposed on the plate)

"The :N94-VCF is correctly exposed if the step 2 inthe analogue UGRA 1982 fully solid.
That means that step 2 (UGRA) cannot be visually distinguished from the flat solid next to it."

Here's the problem instruction:

"Important: Do not rub back the machine-processed step-wedge manually for assessing the step coverage!"

What does that instruction mean? We were told to wipe the step-wedge before evaluation and that the sentence means don't rub the plate in both directions but only in the direction of the plate processor.

What is the correct procedure?

Thanks.

 

[gordo]

Somebody must be using this plate.
You can email me instead of responding here if you prefer.
Pritchardgordon (at) gmail (dot) com

 

[GeraldSA]

In the past,with N94V, a rub back test was performed in order to correctly assess the xposure. Direction of rub was totally unimortant. Wih N94VCF this is not advisable/required. Also, latest advice from Agfa HQ is to increase exposure to get up to 4 solid steps, step 4 is allowed to show a slight degradation, though. A solid step is indstinguishable from the directly exposed background. Best way to asses this is to look at the plate so that the ambient light reflects off the surface of the plate, like a mirror. This is of course assuming that the processing conditions are totally correct. Aso, this is all referring to the UGRA1982 exposure wedge. Agfa has manufactured a replacement wedge for the UGRA, which is no longer available - just a FYI. Be careful, though, run length is specced at 200,000 impressions under ideal conditions. We in South Africa have however had great succes with N94VCF plates, sometimes showing no wear at over 220,000 impressions. We have many N94VCF installations, almost all of them using AdvantageN Plateseters. I unfortunately do not have experience with ECRM machines. Hope this helps.