No Bake Plate "Cyan Dot Loss"?

[sveibl]

We have recently changed to No Bake plates for sheetfed & Web presses. No problems with sheetfed, but webs need to stop and wipe down blanket & plate around 5,000 impressions because ink no longer picks up properly. This only happens on cyan units!

My understanding is that this problem has been around since no bake plates arrived on market. Happens reguardless of ink or plate manufacturer.

Amazingly, industry has no real solution or reason why this happens. If I swap out unit with a baked plate, problem goes away.

Has anyone else seen this in their plant? What was your fix?

Yes I know lower tack cyan helps.

 

[KevinC@EFI]

We have recently changed to No Bake plates for sheetfed & Web presses. No problems with sheetfed, but webs need to stop and wipe down blanket & plate around 5,000 impressions because ink no longer picks up properly. This only happens on cyan units!

My understanding is that this problem has been around since no bake plates arrived on market. Happens reguardless of ink or plate manufacturer.

Amazingly, industry has no real solution or reason why this happens. If I swap out unit with a baked plate, problem goes away.

Has anyone else seen this in their plant? What was your fix?

Yes I know lower tack cyan helps.

Sveibl -

I wouldn't call that normal. There are many variables involved, from the plates themselves to the processing and finisher, to the ink, fount, and even blanket and rollers.

I'm not sure whose plate you're using, but your vendors should be willing and able to help. It may take some cooperation between plate support, ink, and fountain suppliers to get to the bottom of it - but it's certainly possible to print with "no bake" plates without those types of issues being common.

Kevin.

 

[rich apollo]

No, what you're seeing is not normal. The plate may require some different chemistry in the pressroom. Maybe a different gum package in the fountain solution, or the fountain solution may need to be mixed to a different pH or conductivity level.

 

[sveibl]

YES i KNOW

YES i KNOW

Vendors tell me this has happened in a handfull of shops. Looking for confessions from our forum how others solved it. I know the problem, Vendors only pretend to be looking for solution..... Hint.... It's not the plate.