CTP - Computer to Plate
Two new Alinte News CTP solutions extend FFEI range
Monday 24. August 2009 - Worldwide launch to take place at IFRA India; New Alinte VN10 and VN20 combine quality, reliability and low cost of ownership; High productivity Alinte VN30 to run live at IFRA Vienna
FFEI has introduced two new violet newspaper CTP products, expanding the Alinte News range to cover all CTP newspaper requirements from high volume dailies to local weeklies. The two new products, Alinte News VN10 and Alinte News VN20, are both semi-automatic machines giving productivity rates of 50 and 75 Berliner plates per hour respectively at 1016 dpi. The two new products complement the existing Alinte News range, which originally started with the Alinte News VN30, capable of 225 plates per hour.
The Alinte VN10 and Alinte VN20 will have their worldwide launch at IFRA India, and there will be a live demonstration of the Alinte News VN30 at IFRA Vienna.
“There is a general trend towards convergence within newspapers where contract printers and publishers often print supplements and lifestyle inserts that would traditionally be the domain of commercial offset,” states Andy Cook, FFEI CEO. “This trend adds the need for high quality to the normal requirements for newspaper CTP of speed, reliability and low cost of ownership. We have responded to these trends with two new entry-level newspaper machines. They not only have the FFEI hallmarks of high value and exceptional reliability, but also exceed quality expectations with unique low-cost internal drum technology.”
The Alinte News VN10 is an entry-level, internal drum CTP solution that is ideal for smaller newspapers and contract printers with a maximum requirement of 50 Berliner plates per hour at peak deadline times. Its variable plate size, up to a maximum of 765 x 686 mm, combined with internal drum accuracy and optional resolutions up to 2540 dpi, give VN10 users optimum flexibility to output plates for both newspaper and semi-commercial work, including heatset.
The Alinte News VN20 produces 75 Berliner plates per hour and has a maximum format of 1070 x 850 mm, making it suitable for a wider range of applications including the production of panorama plates with two broadsheets side by side. The optional resolution set (1800, 2400, 2438 and 2540) provides commercial and heatset as well as newspaper capability.
Both new products are designed with Semi Automatic plate loading and single-laser exposure to ensure reliable operation and low cost of ownership. They are compatible with a very broad range of low chemistry and chemistry-free violet plate technologies and can be configured to be freestanding or online to a processor. In the latter semi-automatic mode, full communication with the processor is supported to optimize productivity.
For high volume plate production, the VN30 (maximum plate size 845 x 635mm) and VN40 (maximum plate size 930 x 635mm) offer production rates up to 225 plates per hour. These products are ideal for regional newspapers and contract printers with a standard productivity of 120 Berliner plates per hour at 1016dpi. Two speed upgrades for higher volume needs, such as those of national titles, are available at 175pph and 225pph. The standard resolutions range from 800 – 1270 dpi and upgradeable to 1800 dpi. The Alinte VN30 will be demonstrated live at IFRA running Fujifilm Brillia HD PRO-VN plates on the Fujifilm Europe stand (B770).
“Our key design criterion for the Alinte newspaper CTP range has always been flexibility, confirms Cook. “Worldwide newspaper markets are changing, with smaller printers and publishers needing to respond. We now have a full range of CTP solutions that can match the needs of the future as well as today.
“The economics of Violet are a powerful benefit in the highly consumable-orientated world of newspapers. With the two new Alinte models we have responded to feedback from potential customers and made this technology affordable to smaller printers, with optional quality upgrades. The total range, including the fully automatic Alinte VN30 and VN40, now offers the same attributes of quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness to small local, regional or multisite national newspapers alike.”
The Alinte range is available through FFEI’s international network of partners including Fujifilm and TechNova.