Technical White Paper Chemical-Free Processing Digital Edition Analysis

The Importance and Influence of Newspaper Making

2007 was the year when the violet laser-free chemical processing plate technology began to appear. For newspaper printing companies, what impact will this technology bring? This technical report describes the violet laser chemical-free printing plate technology, what it can bring, and what benefits it has for newspaper printing.

Why does newspaper industry not use thermal technology?

Some of the major suppliers of plate materials have already introduced thermal-resistance-free chemical-treatment plate technology, so the first question is why these technologies are not as popular as the violet laser technology in the field of newspaper printing. Why do we need a violet laser to chemically process plates?

The answer lies in the direct platemaking technology currently used by most newspaper users for production, and almost two-thirds of the newspaper CTP system is the CTP of the violet laser. The main reason is the advantages of the violet laser—unparalleled speed and unmatchedness. Laser reliability and low cost, excellent image quality and more. For these reasons, the newspaper industry will continue to use the CTP system of violet laser technology, which is why the thermal CTP system is not popular in the newspaper industry.

Application of Purple Laser Technology in Newspaper Industry

Undoubtedly, the lifespan of violet laser diodes is much longer than that of thermal diodes, which is why the violet laser warranty provided by some suppliers exceeds the lifespan of the platesetter. For newspapers, the stability requirement is crucial. They demand that the platemaking process be completed quickly in a very short period of time before printing begins. Although thermal CTP has its advantages, these advantages are not the most important for newspaper printing. The three key advantages of violet laser are:

â–  The violet laser diode is more stable and reliable than the thermal diode and has a longer life.

â–  The violet laser version is faster than the thermal version, so violet laser plate making is the best choice for rapid plate making.

â–  For the entire system, the operating costs of violet laser technology are less costly in terms of daily production, maintenance, and stability.

What benefits does the chemical-free treatment bring to the newspaper industry?

In commercial printing, chemical-free printing plates are widely considered to be one of the most important innovations for the recent simplified platemaking. The removal of the development step means that the main variable that affects the stability of the imaging is gone. It is no longer necessary to clean the processor and process the developer waste. It is no longer necessary to buy an expensive plate processor. All of these benefits are crucial for newspaper printers looking to streamline production, streamline workflows, and cut costs. At the same time, the chemical-free treatment enhances the environmental protection of printers who are keen to minimize environmental pollution.


Which newspapers will preferentially benefit from the violet laser-free chemical processing technology?
The demand for printing plate productivity is not high, and the small newspaper printing factory, mainly short-run printing, will be the earliest beneficiary. It is unclear whether the printing rate of the first-generation violet laser-free plate will limit the initial application. However, it is quite certain that its image quality is not different from the quality of the current newspaper CTP plate. If print, productivity, and other performance requirements are met, then there is no limit to the use of the violet laser chemical-free version.

How do these chemical-free versions work?

The plate is exposed by a violet laser CTP device. In the case of Agfa's violet laser chemical-free processing plates, the existing low-power violet laser (30 to 60 milliwatts) CTP device will be sufficient to expose the plate, which means that there is no need to invest in hardware devices. Once the image is “written” onto the plate, all that needs to be done is to remove the non-image portion. This is done by using a gluing system to glue the printing plate and protect the plate image portion while also removing the non-image portion.

The benefits of this approach are:

â–  The plate received by the printer is the same as the ordinary plate in appearance and performance;

â–  Due to the large contrast of the printing plate, the surface of the standard aluminum base layer is a dark graphic image, and errors are easily found in rapid visual inspections (such as imposition);

â–  The normal plate density meter can be used without any restrictions.

The initial gluing system is not as fast as the fastest conventional CTP platesetter - so chemical-free plates will be primarily used in small regional newspapers at the outset.

Purple laser free chemical processing plate technology works

The violet laser-free chemical treatment plate is coated on the surface with a high-quality sanded and anodized aluminum substrate. The coating is sensitive to a purple light source with a wavelength of 405 nm.

During the exposure process, the violet laser "hardens" the image part. The non-image parts remain unexposed.

The exposed plate is coated with standard plate protective adhesive. During this process, the softer, non-exposed image portions are easily protected by glue.

Treated plates have the same appearance, feel and printability as general plates. This version is no longer sensitive to light and can be saved before printing on the machine if needed.

Explanation of the key issues of the purple laser-free chemical treatment of CTPs â–  Purple laser is the future of the press-free chemical processing technology. This view is not very controversial, and many manufacturers strongly agree with this view. The emergence of chemical-free violet laser technology will only bring more benefits to printers.

â–  Benefits. Simple, clean and eco-friendly - save time and money. The chemical-free version provided by most suppliers will use the traditional (best) sanded and anodized aluminum base to ensure the highest level of print performance.

â–  Match the current violet laser plate making equipment. Make sure that the chemical-free version you choose does not burden you. For example, a high-power violet laser diode with a power of 200 milliwatts is required for normal printing. This type of plate is completely incompatible with the existing plate-making machine, which will affect the development of the industry. The most troublesome issue is, of course, the need to reinvest a new platesetter.

â–  Printing performance. A successful violet laser-free chemical processing plate will provide a good printing performance as if it were even beyond the current violet laser photopolymerization.

Overall, the chemical-free printing plate technology will have a profound impact on the newspaper CTP, just as it did on the commercial CTP. In 2007 and 2008, the promotion of the printing press technology of the violet laser-free chemical processing press was crucial. The chemical-free treatment may not be immediately useful to all newspapers, but it will have a breakthrough impact on many newspapers, which is just as important as the beginning of the newspaper CTP technology in the 1990s.

Reprinted from: Agfa

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