Success Storyfrom KODAK

S U C C E S S S T O R Y — C U S T O M E R P R O F I L E

The next generation of Kodak Violet Plates and Plate Processing ChemistryKodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plates, Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer, and Kodak 206 Violet Plate Replenisher reduce chemistry usage, waste, and associated costs

Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate keeps its promise

A need to buy new/dedicated processor

No

Yes

Sometimes

Long Bath Life(up to 8 weeks)

Yes

No

Sometimes

Low Chemistry Use(up to 20 m2/l)

Yes

No

Sometimes

Silver Plates

“Simple Process” Violet Plates

Other Violet Photopolymer Plates

VioletNews GoldDigital Plates

The Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate is specially designed to meet the requirements of modern newspaper production and cost-efficient platemaking. In addition to high quality, long run lengths, and improved chemical resistance, the Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate puts the emphasis on a fast and affordable platemaking process. In combination with the new Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer and the Kodak 206R Violet Plate Replenisher, it has a proven track record of dramatically reduced chemistry usage and spent chemicals.

Plate-chemistry combination makes the difference Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft mbH & Co. KG has used Kodak VioletNews Plates since migrating its four CTP systems to violet lasers in July 2007. As well as Leipziger Volkszeitung and Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, five editions of Bild Zeitung and one of Bild am Sonntag are produced at the printing center in Leipzig-Stahmeln. A high-volume weekly ad journal, a free Sunday

newspaper, and a series of contracts round off the product range. Plate consumption on the four web presses (2 x 48 and 2 x 32 pages) amounts to 2000 a day on average, rising occasionally to 2500. For its screening technology, the company uses hybrid AM screening at 150 lpi.The Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate superseded the Kodak VioletNews Plate in the spring of 2010. Michael Voigt, head of the platemaking department, testifies to the plate’s better overall robustness in the platemaking process. He and his colleagues are thoroughly satisfied

with the changeover to the Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer as with their processing equipment that accompanied the introduction of the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate. The new Kodak Chemicals impresses with its compatibility across all plate brands and processors traditionally employed in Leipzig. However, a much more important factor is the huge reduction in chemistry usage and disposal of spent chemistry. The extension of the bath cycle life and the higher output per square meter are two obvious explanations. “The Kodak Chemistry currently suffices for

Michael Voigt, head of the platemaking department at Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft, checks the settings on a processor in which plates are processed with the new Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer.

Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate keeps its promise

5000 m² of plates before it needs replacing and nowadays we have drastically reduced processor cleaning requirements,” says Voigt. “Our short-term goal is to increase this output to 5500 m², and I’m confident we’ll not only reach this landmark but also go beyond it.” The replenishment rate has dropped to 30 ml/m² with the new chemistry and owing to its production rhythm the Leipzig newspaper printer has actually succeeded in eliminating anti-ox replenisher entirely.

Positive experience in KasselThe significant reduction in chemistry usage is also greatly appreciated by another user, 125 miles farther west in Kassel. Zeitungsdruck Dierichs GmbH & Co. KG, which operates four newspaper presses, has used the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate ever since its predecessor was phased out. Zeitungsdruck Dierichs has a monthly requirement for around 68,000 plates, 90% of them in 311 x 510 mm format. Alongside Hessisch-Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA), a part edition of Bild Zeitung, and various ad journals, its portfolio is mainly made up of regularly recurring commercial jobs such as community gazettes, inserts for the retail sector, and magazine-like products.

Three violet CTP systems with online processors are available for platemaking, with a combined total capacity of 600 plates an hour. According to Björn Luckhart, Prepress Manager, the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate’s high sensitivity has facilitated a slight reduction in the platesetters’ laser power. It is also more convenient to handle because it is more resistant to scratching than other violet types. The plate’s on-press performance can likewise be described as robust – one regular order that challenges the VioletNews Gold Plate with almost 220,000 impressions is absolutely no problem.

For about six months now, Zeitungsdruck Dierichs has been using Kodak’s new violet chemistry to process the VioletNews Gold Plate and other violet plates. “We must have chemistry that is suitable for all the different plates we employ. The Kodak Products fulfill this specification,” Luckhart explains. The Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer and the Kodak 206R Violet Plate Replenisher have ousted products from another chemical supplier at the Kassel printer. “Kodak’s processing chemistry lasts much longer than what we used to use. Whereas none of our plate processors ever previously managed

Björn Luckhart, Prepress Manager at Zeitungsdruck Dierichs in Kassel, appreciates the significantly longer bath cycle life and the longer intervals between cleaning since introducing Kodak‘s new developer system

more than 4000 m², we can now process 6000 m² of plates before we have to replace the baths and clean the equipment,” Luckhart reports. “What’s more, our consumption of replenisher has been more than halved. Instead of 50 ml/m² for replenishment during production and 40 ml/h for anti-ox replenishment, we can now get by with just 25 ml/m² of production replenisher and 10 ml/h of anti-ox. The longer bath cycle life and the longer intervals between cleaning the plate processors add up to clear cost savings and less environmental damage.”

These two examples show how a system comprised of the Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate, the Kodak 206 Violet Plate

Developer, and the Kodak 206R Violet Plate Replenisher helps newspaper printers achieve the consistently high-quality results demanded by customers.

Kodak Summary

Consistent and high-quality results plus increased profitability opportunities Consistent and high-quality results plus increased profitability are the benchmark for modern newspaper printing plates – both in the platemaking process and the way the plates are used in newspaper web offset presses. The permanent cost pressures resulting from the economic climate over the last few years is affecting all newspaper printing steps and one main reason for this development by Kodak. Although cost efficiency is vital when it comes to platemaking, the plates for newspaper offset

printing nevertheless have to come up to high quality and performance standards. On top of this, they are required to reduce environmental impact and contribute to more sustainable print production.

It was against this background that Kodak launched its violet photopolymer Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate and the Kodak 206 Developer system. The new, improved plate is Kodak‘s state-of-the-art alternative for all newspaper printers that use violet CTP systems. It succeeds to the Kodak VioletNews Digital Plate which was originally announced at Ifra Expo 2004 and introduced to the market in early 2005. This first-generation violet CTP plate from Kodak provided

newspaper printers all over the world with a welcome choice.

Compatible with most news-paper violet platesetters Compatibility was a top priority for the R & D chemists responsible for developing the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate. It can be imaged on a wide range of newspaper CTP systems with 30 mW laser power or higher that work with violet laser diodes (wavelength: 405 nm). The new newspaper printing plate is suitable for any standard newspaper CTP imaging resolutions and is available in all standard newspaper sizes with a gauge of 0.20 or 0.30 mm.

Owing to its high sensitivity, this negative working plate can be imaged at very high speed – in response to calls for a fast CTP system throughput that meets the needs of deadline driven newspaper production. The option of plate handling under yellow safelight

creates increased comfort for newspaper prepress staff.

The Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate – with 200,000 impressions unbaked subject to press conditions (can be baked for UV or longer run lengths) – has sufficient capacity reserves for even the largest newspaper issues as well as for inserts and marketing materials.

Efficient processing with clear environmental benefits The advances incorporated in the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate and Kodak 206 Developer/206R Replenisher are especially striking in the processing process, where environmental and cost aspects are always eyed critically. Chemical consumption is dramatically reduced if the new Kodak 206/206R Developer system is used.

This innovative developer system cuts the production replenishment rate by around 60%, while the saving on antiox replenishment is as much as 75%. What’s more, the new chemistry significantly reduces the amount of chemistry used and spent chemicals. These statistics speak for themselves. In short, newspaper printers can diminish their chemistry usage to a low level – even compared to equivalent quantities of so-called “chemistry-free” or “simple process” plates.

The cleanliness of plate processing, linked to the reduced time for cleaning the plate processor using a simple water wash, is a further advantage. Last but not least, all of these effects result in substantially less spent chemicals to dispose of. All in all, the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate and the Kodak 206 Developer/206R Replenisher boast a

fantastic profile in terms of environmental benefit and efficiency that is additionally underlined by its on-press performance. As far as plate processing is concerned, the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate once again provides compatibility geared to practical needs. It can be processed in Kodak Mercury P-HD or Kodak P-LD Plate Processor as well as – subject to Kodak‘s approval – in a series of other processors designed for violet photopolymer plates with a preheat step.

With their strong image contrast between the blue photopolymer coating and the background, processed Kodak VioletNews Gold Plates facilitate both visual and instrumented plate inspection, as well as accurate positioning in video-controlled register punching and bending devices.

Like its predecessor, the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate provides a fast time-to-color on the press and rapid achievement of the optimal ink/water balance. It thus makes a key contribution to minimizing make ready times and assures efficient restarting following printing interruptions. Yet another benefit of the new plate is the improved resistance to pressroom chemistry giving it a wider tolerance to today’s pressroom environment.

The bottom line of all this is that the Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate and Kodak 206 Developer/206R Replenisher now offers newspaper printers a no compromise solution whilst delivering a reduced chemical usage and spent chemistry.

To learn more about solutions from Kodak:Visit graphics.kodak.com

Produced using Kodak Technology

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©Kodak, 2011. Kodak, VioletNews Gold and Mercury are trademarks of Kodak.

Subject to technical change without notice.

Björn Luckhart, Prepress Manager at Zeitungsdruck Dierichs in Kassel, with a press-ready Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate.