Corrugated Post-print: Conventional or Digital? Dan Rosen Accounts Manager BASF Printing Systems...

Corrugated Post-print:

Conventional or Digital?

Dan Rosen

Accounts Manager

BASF Printing Systems

BASF

A Frequently Asked Question:

With CTP growing rapidly in other flexo markets, are there any benefits to using CTP in Corrugated Post-print?

• Does it improve workflow?

• Does it make better plates?

• Does it yield better print capability?

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Installation of Laser Systems - World wide

Indeed, CTP Is Growing Rapidly

Do The Benefits Of CTPApply To Corrugated?

Some Qualifying Comments

• This is a real world discussion:– B flute, not E flute or micro flute boards– Kraft and mottle white, not “high holdout” specialty

liners– Average presses with standard aniloxes– Thicker plates (.155”), not ultra-thin with foam– Line Screens in the range of 42, 65 and 85 LPI

Just One Commercial…

BASF

10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° Shore A0°

32°

42°

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62°

Hardness

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Yes, We Have The Digital Plates!

ACE DII

FAH DII

ART DII

FAC DII

End Of Commercial.

BASF

CTP Handling

• Today's laser imagers are well suited for thicker photopolymers (.125” - .250”)

• RPMs are now lower, high throughput• Plate loading & gripper bars are

improved• Vacuum assist is very effective• Ergonomic designs allow for single

operator loading of very large plates

Let’s Look At A Few Aspects:

• The standard points about film elimination

• Pre-flight workflow, Mounting

• Imaging / Printing – “where the rubber hits the road”

• Summary

Let’s Look At A Few Aspects:

• The standard points about film elimination

• Pre-flight workflow, Mounting

• Imaging / Printing – “where the rubber hits the road”

• Summary

Film Elimination With CTP

• No films to file or strip

• No dings, dust, or film quality issues

• Set-up of plate exposing is simple

A big plus, since most platemaking for corrugated involves large films that are difficult to handle.

Image Layout

• Some strong advantages to using digital layout – compared to traditional film stripping

• Some aspects of digital layout can be done with film image setters today

• Other aspects, such as last minute image changes, plus pre-mounting techniques are better suited for CTP

The Following Three Slides Are Courtesy of Esko Graphics

• Post-mounting support for corrugated workflow– Automatic reduction of full-format jobs with scattered

images - into patches, saving polymer– Automatic generation of cut marks – for higher/easier

accuracy– Parameter file sent to cutting & post-mounting video

devices– Decreases post-mounting time

PlatePatcher Software For Post-mounted Jobs

• Time savings opportunity:– Allows for accurate post mounting using

coordinates from the graphics file… less guessing

• Workflow description:

– Job File PlatePatcher Datafile (plate cutting) CAD CAM table Datafile (positioning) Post Mounting Device

Video / Electronic Mounting Device

PlatePatcher Software For Post-mounted Jobs

Productivity In Pre-Mounting Images Before Platemaking

• Unimaged polymer pieces pre-mounted on the carrier sheet using templates generated by the job file

– NO “image” mounting, ONLY blank pieces– Laser imaging time managed by “Superskip” software– Image placement on the mount is digital-perfect– Normal plate processing on the carrier, die sealer added

afterward– Best on large mounts

* Used at Rudolf, Schawrtz and Tiesen

The Print Test…

BASF

Team Involved

• BASF Printing Systems: Plates, Data, & Reporting

• Fox Valley Technical: Printing• Schawk Chicago: File Prep., Platemaking,

Mounting, & Data

Materials & Conditions

• BASF’s nyloflex FAC Conventional & Digital• Imaged on Esko 5080 Power Beam• Mounted on 30 pt. Carrier with 2 mils tape and

underpacked with 90 mils foam• Printed on FVTC Workhorse Industries 3-color press

with a Harper 400 line, 3.8 bcm anilox roll• Menasha Corp. KLA white & Kraft b-flute substrate• INX Brite II Process Black ink @ 9.7 ph and 24s with

#4 DIN• Speed was 50 sheets / minute• Ran @ equal SIDs and Impression levels

Image Target Designed

Image Target Designed

Keeping Things Fair…

BASF

Scattering area Scattering area

Vacuum film

Film baseSilver emulsionRelease layer

Relief layer

Conventional plate

Light (UV) Light (UV)

Black mask

Relief layer

Digital plate

Light Scattering

Dot Reduction From O2

ablation

Polymer

Black mask

UV Light

Dot Reduction From O2

Ø conventional

Ø digital O2

O2

O2 O2

O2

O2

Dot Reduction From O2

We Worked To Make All Dots Physically Equal On The Plates

File Film

PlatePlate

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=

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In Other Words, A 10% Dot Is The Size Of A 10% Dot

MaskFile Plate

Measured Dot Physical Surface Diameters On Plates

65 LPI Physical Dots

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% Size

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Digital

The Print Results…

BASF

Solid Ink Density Comparison

Solid Ink Density

1.12

1.14

1.16

1.18

1.2

1.22

1.24

KraftConventional

Kraft Digital WhiteConventional

White Digital

Den

sity

Val

ue

Side By Side Comparisons

Side By Side Comparisons

Side By Side Comparisons

Digital Conventional

Side By Side Comparisons

DigitalConventional

Dot Gain: 42 LPI White42 LPI Mottle White

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2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 92 94 96 98

% On File

% P

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Digital

File

Dot Gain: 65 LPI White65 LPI Mottle White

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2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 92 94 96 98

% On File

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Digital

File

Dot Gain: 85 LPI White85 LPI Mottle White

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2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 92 94 96 98

% On File

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Digital

File

Dot Gain: 42 LPI Kraft42 LPI Kraft

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% On File

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Digital

File

Dot Gain: 65 LPI Kraft65 LPI Kraft

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% On File

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Digital

File

Dot Gain: 85 LPI Kraft85 LPI Kraft

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Digital

File

Side By Side Comparisons

Digital Conventional

Summary of Advantages

• Filmless Output, Layout And Imaging• Possibilities For Imposition Digital Mounting• Ability To Hold Finer

– Highlights– Shadows– Fine Type & Reverses

• Less Dot Gain on 85, 65, even 42 LPI White• Marginal Print Improvement on Kraft

This was one test. Many more should be done!

Thank You!

Dan Rosen

Accounts Manager

BASF Printing Systems

rosend@basf.com

BASF