CTP - Computer to Plate
German Newspaper Printers Slash Chemical Consumption and Reduce Environmental Impact with Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate
Wednesday 10. November 2010 - Violet CTP plate and the Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer / 206R Violet Plate Replenisher deliver big cost savings and more environmentally responsible practices
German newspaper printers Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and Zeitungsdruck Dierichs GmbH & Co. KG are enjoying a raft of benefits after turning to the Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate and Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer / 206R Violet Plate Replenisher. In addition to delivering a huge reduction in chemical consumption and the related cost savings, the plates ensure more environmentally responsible production and offer longer, higher quality runs.
Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft drives cost savings
Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft has a well-established relationship with Kodak and upgraded to the Kodak VioletNews Gold Digital Plate after previously using the KODAK VioletNews Digital Plate. The company has also switched to the new Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer, which combined with the VioletNews Gold Plate, will further reduce chemical consumption.
Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft produces Leipziger Volkszeitung and Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, five editions of Bild Zeitung and one of Bild am Sonntag at its printing center in Leipzig-Stahmeln. The companys output also includes a high-volume weekly ad journal and a free Sunday newspaper.
Plate consumption on the four web presses (2 x 48 and 2 x 32 pages) amounts to a daily average of 2000, rising occasionally to 2500. For its screening technology, Leipziger Verlags- und Druckereigesellschaft uses hybrid AM screening at 150 lpi.
Michael Voigt, head of the platemaking department, believes the VioletNews Gold Plate delivers even better overall robustness in the platemaking process than the VioletNews Plate it replaced. He and his colleagues have been very impressed following the changeover to the Kodak 206 Violet Plate Developer that accompanied the introduction of the VioletNews Gold Plate.
The new Kodak chemistry is compatible with all plate brands and processors traditionally employed in Leipzig. A much more important factor for the company is the extension of the bath cycle life and higher output per square meter. The result is a huge reduction in chemistry consumption, which means significant cost savings and less disposal-related inconvenience: “The Kodak chemistry is sufficient for 5000m” of plates before it needs replacing, and we have now dramatically reduced our processor cleaning requirements,” says Voigt. “Our short-term goal is to increase this output to 5500 m” – I’m confident that we’ll go beyond this landmark.”
The new chemistry has spurred a drop in the replenishment rate to 30 ml/m”, and owing to its production rhythm, the Leipzig newspaper printer has succeeded in eliminating anti-ox replenisher entirely.
Zeitungsdruck Dierichs slashes chemistry consumption
Kassel-based Zeitungsdruck Dierichs GmbH & Co. KG is also enjoying a significant reduction in its chemistry consumption. The company operates four newspaper presses and has used the Kodak VioletNews Gold Plate since its predecessor was phased out. Zeitungsdruck Dierichs has a monthly requirement of around 68,000 plates, 90% of them in 311 x 510mm format. Alongside Hessisch-Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA), a part edition of Bild Zeitung, and various ad journals, its output predominantly comprises regular commercial jobs, such as community gazettes, inserts for businesses in 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 VioletNews Gold Plate’s high sensitivity has facilitated a slight reduction in the platesetters laser power. It is also easier to handle because it is more resistant to scratching than other violet types. The plate’s delivers a very robust on-press performance – one regular order that demands almost 220,000 impressions poses no problems to the VioletNews Gold Plate.
Zeitungsdruck Dierichs also uses 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 use,” explains Luckhart. “The Kodak products meet this need perfectly.
“Kodak’s processing chemistry lasts much longer than the products we were using before. None of our plate processors previously managed more than 4000 m”, but now we can process 6000 m” of plates before we have to replace the baths and clean the equipment.
“What’s more, weve halved our replenisher consumption. Instead of 50 ml/m” for replenishment during production and 40 ml/h for anti-ox replenishment, we can now get by with just 25 ml/m” of production replenisher and 10 ml/h of anti-ox. The longer bath cycle life and the longer intervals between cleaning the plate processors translate into clear cost savings and less damage to the environment.”