Serious Issue - Help Needed

[Bigscottd]

Hi,
I was wondering if anybody could help me out with a issue I am having at the moment.
I have been back at work for since last Monday after 10 days off, Since then I have got a serious issue with small holes randomly appearing in solid area's. The kit i am using is the Plate rite 2055 VI attached to a IGP processor, now these holes are dotted around the plate and can be from 0.2mm to 0.8mm and they are dotted around randomly and never in the same place twice.
We have tried everything, the first thing we thought is it could be a bad batch of Fuji LP-NV plates so I tried another box and the problem is still there, then I tried another box with a different batch number still no different. I then got a Fuji engineer n and he tried a couple of things like turning up the laser power and still nothing. I have since had another engineer in to clean all the optics in the platesetter which was done and still the spots are there. Now today I have thought enough is enough im going to change plate brand to Kodak and you guessed it there still there. Now we have had Screen, Fuji and Kodak engineers in and they are seriously stumped but in the mean while we have press downstairs stood still.

I have ruled out the processor and im 99% sure this is a Plate/Platesetter issue. Before Christmas it was working fine and now its not.

Has anybody ever experienced this problem before or any ideas what it could be.

Many Thanks
Scott

 

[Rolf]

Scott, how did you rule out the processor? We have had similar issues twice after a prolonged down time and it was the plate chemistry that caused it every time. After a complete chemistry change everything was fine.

 

[Bigscottd]

Well before I left last year I did a full strip and clean and put brand new chemicals in and then today when Kodak came in a did another deep clean and put their chemistry in and the issue is still there. All the plate engineers also have ruled out the processor causing the problem.

 

[beermonster]

can/have you done a "roam" on the ripped data - to make SURE it's not some rip issue.

i'm sure you have but it helps to know

 

[VladCanada]

Did you try to process the plate (unexposed/daylight exposed) directly in the IGP avoiding СTP?
What's results?
Still spotty?

 

[Bigscottd]

Did you try to process the plate (unexposed/daylight exposed) directly in the IGP avoiding СTP?
What's results?
Still spotty?

When I expose under daylight it is clean, but today we may have made some progress, for the last couple of weeks the air in the room has been very dry and we got a moisture peter and we only had 20% humidity and it should be 40 - 50% and what the Kodak engineers told me is that because its so dry it might be causing alot of static when the interleaf is being removed and causeing dust/paper particals sticking so the plate so we have bought a humidifier today and in the little time we used it we went from 10-15 spots to 2-3 spots so I have left it running over night to see if that will make a difference.
I know it might sound a bit far fetched but myself and the engineers are stumped to what could be causing it.

 

[Lukas Engqvist]

looks like you found something. Slip sheets are usually kept in place by plate manufacturing charging with static. You can try loading manually and/or one plate at a time to confirm it.

 

[Printservedigital]

Static is a major issue in some CTP rooms. Do you hoover out the Imagesetter?

PS "Kodak engineers told me is that because its so dry it might be causing alot of static when the interleaf is being removed and causeing dust/paper particals sticking"

They got that idea from me in UK last year!!!