Screen launches entry-level CTP recorder model for flexo and letterpress

Katsuhiko Aoki, president, Dainippon Screen, said, “In recent years, there has been a steady adoption of CTP recorders for flexo and letterpress printing within the sticker and label printing industry, with the goal of achieving improved print quality and more streamlined processing. At the same time, there has also been a growing need for an entry-level CTP recorder, particularly among companies that wish to maintain high quality while reducing initial costs.

In response to these industry trends, Screen plans to launch the PlateRite FX870IIE. This entry-level model features a reduced price tag and yet continues to offer the same high quality and resolution, plus functions such as exposure of thermal offset plates (option), as provided by the PlateRite FX870II, released in May 2009.”

The company claims that PlateRite FX870IIE delivers a strong practical performance, maintaining a productivity approximately half that of a current model. This enables it to process flexo plates at a rate of two sqm an hour (around 6.6 minutes for A3 size) and letterpress plates at three sqm per hour (around 4.6 minutes for A3 size).

The imaging head is also equipped with a multi-channel high-power laser diode. In addition to providing sharp imaging, this head is long-lived and inexpensive. It also offers an output resolution of 2400dpi, with a maximum of 4800dpi as a standard feature. This enables outstanding reproduction of very small characters and fine lines, which frequently cause problems at normal resolutions, and greatly reduces jaggies in diagonal lines and curves. As a package, these features make the PlateRite FX870IIE a CTP recorder that is capable of delivering top quality printing combining the smooth gradations and high densities only possible with flexo printing.

With this latest addition to the PlateRite series lineup, Screen aims to better cover the diverse needs of the market and, by heavily promoting the system in emerging countries transitioning to CTP, to further expand its market share. Worldwide sales of the PlateRite FX870IIE will commence in May 2013, starting in Japan.