New CtP Plate Setter comparisons

[vaughng]

Dear All,

I'm hoping for a bit of advice from the forum members regarding our potential purchase of a new CtP platesetter. We are looking for a platesetter that can do the following:

- Plate size = 975mm x 1192mm
- Plate thickness = 0.4mm
- No punches required for the Lithoman press.
- At least 31 plates per hour out the processor

The complication comes because we will need to bend the short edge (975mm) because the 1192mm wraps the web offset cylinder.

Here are my questions:
1. The Screen devices create plate imaging pin positioning holes down the long edge. This is an issue because it will damage the rollers on the press. Can these be switched off because we will use a camera bending system?
2. I know the Kodak Avalon system doesn't have these pin cut outs, are there other devices that don't cut the plate to position the plate on the plate imaging cylinder?

Any help / comments would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance ...

Vaughn

 

[John W]

Those little round 'hook' pins on the Screen device are there I believe as an Osha/safety requirement on this side of the pond. If the power fails while the drum is spinning, the plate won't fly off and cause damage. Assuming you are prepared to take the risk, I'd bet an engineer could remove the pins. I'm thinking its not possible to just turn their use off but you could ask. Other than that, I'd recommend the Screen brand every time; I've been using Screen gear for abut 15yrs without major issue. Screen people seem to be adaptable.
Once they sent the head of engineering from Japan to my shop (in the 1990's) to make a mod in the field so two similar scanners could produce the exact same result.

 

[erictoray]

Vaughn,
I am not a representative for Screen but I have many customers that use their equipment.
You may be able to rotate the plate by 90 degrees and have the drum locating pins fall into the gripper. Kodak's solution is a Magnus VLF and it does not have locating pins.
Agfa and Fuji OEM the Screen devices.
The Screen Plate rite 24000 or 32000 should be your best choices for a plate this size. You cannot beat them for reliabillity. The specs for the machine are:

The PlateRite Ultima 24000 / 36000 are perfect for imaging not only large-format plates, but also pairs of smaller plates. Depending upon the configuration, the PlateRite Ultima 24000 can image two plates together on the drum consecutively or simultaneously.
The PlateRite Ultima 24000 images plates as large as 68.9" x 55.1" and as small as 19.7" x 21.7" for a wide range ofplate format support. The platesetter supports imaging resolutions from 1,200 dpi to 2,540 dpi. The 36000 will image from 19.7" x 21.7" to 82.6" x 62.9

 

[vaughng]

Those little round 'hook' pins on the Screen device are there I believe as an Osha/safety requirement on this side of the pond. If the power fails while the drum is spinning, the plate won't fly off and cause damage. Assuming you are prepared to take the risk, I'd bet an engineer could remove the pins. I'm thinking its not possible to just turn their use off but you could ask. Other than that, I'd recommend the Screen brand every time; I've been using Screen gear for abut 15yrs without major issue. Screen people seem to be adaptable.
Once they sent the head of engineering from Japan to my shop (in the 1990's) to make a mod in the field so two similar scanners could produce the exact same result.

Thanks John

We don't want to void any warranties by removing the pins "by engineer". The messages I am getting suggest that you can turn off the inline punching systems (e.g. bacher) but not these pin hole positioning pins.

We also are a happy Screen customer we have 2 .... an 8800 and a 16000, its just a pity that we can't do the new plate size on the 16000, thus the investigations.

Regards
Vaughn

 

[vaughng]

Vaughn,
I am not a representative for Screen but I have many customers that use their equipment.
You may be able to rotate the plate by 90 degrees and have the drum locating pins fall into the gripper. Kodak's solution is a Magnus VLF and it does not have locating pins.
Agfa and Fuji OEM the Screen devices.
The Screen Plate rite 24000 or 32000 should be your best choices for a plate this size. You cannot beat them for reliabillity. The specs for the machine are:

The PlateRite Ultima 24000 / 36000 are perfect for imaging not only large-format plates, but also pairs of smaller plates. Depending upon the configuration, the PlateRite Ultima 24000 can image two plates together on the drum consecutively or simultaneously.
The PlateRite Ultima 24000 images plates as large as 68.9" x 55.1" and as small as 19.7" x 21.7" for a wide range ofplate format support. The platesetter supports imaging resolutions from 1,200 dpi to 2,540 dpi. The 36000 will image from 19.7" x 21.7" to 82.6" x 62.9

Thanks for the info ... this is exactly where we are going with it. We have put out the RFQ and have looked at the Magnus as well as the OEM's you mention. The new plate size does fit if you rotate 90 on the 16000 that we have, because then the gripper and pins are on the wrong edge for the new press. Hence we are now looking at new options. The bigger machines also allow us to run our B1 sheet fed plates 2 up

Question: Will the 16 page OEMs AGFA and FUJI also both cut positioning pin holes like the PlateRite?

This help has been invaluable!

Regards
Vaughn