The computer-to-plate technology was first commercialized in gravure and flexo printing in the 1980s and was applied to plain printing in 1990. As early as 1975, the concept of computer-to-plate was first tried on electrostatic plates, but neither the resolution nor the speed of exposure could meet commercial printing needs. In 1982, the silver salt coated polyester version was used for monochromatic low register precision printing. Until 1990, a metal lithography plate suitable for four-color commercial printing using silver salt technology began to be used, which has a high photospeed. In 1995, thermal plates with heat transfer or thermal cross-linking were formally launched. In recent years, the introduction of new low-cost high-energy infrared laser tubes has accelerated the promotion of thermal technologies.
With the continuous development of computer-to-plate technology, the global printing and publishing industry is also rapidly growing. As the third largest industry in the world, the printing and publishing industry itself is undergoing continuous transformation. The application and development of computer-to-platemaking technology has been recognized by the industry as one of the future directions of the printing industry. According to Vantage Strategic Market and State Street Consultants, industry research yearbooks, by 2003, 18% to 25% of the global demand for printed media will come from computer-to-plate media, and the global installed capacity of computer-to-plate machines will be from 1997. The number of 1,435 units in the year increased to 1,1,500 units in 2003. State Street Consultants also predicts that by 2003, there will be a 53% market share for thermal platesetters in global installed capacity.
What is heat-sensitive technology? Thermal technology refers to the type of energy source needed to image the plate, not the processing of the plate. The image is generated by thermal energy rather than light energy. One of the more important concepts in the thermal technology is the critical value, because the critical value is the key to determine whether the plate is imaged. In other words, under the critical temperature, the plate will not generate images and will not react. When the critical temperature is reached, the plate produces an image, and when the temperature exceeds the critical temperature, which is equivalent to the overexposure in the traditional printing process, the generated dot size and shape will not be affected. This fundamentally solves the problem of inaccurate reproduction of outlets due to overexposure, inadequacy, or human factors in the traditional plate making process. On the other hand, the threshold concept of thermal technology is also equivalent to the core concept in digital technology. It is not a "0" or "1" concept. Whether the image on the plate is only determined by whether or not the critical value is reached. This makes digital computer direct plate making possible. It can be said that the thermal technology is the ideal choice for the direct digital version of the computer to the plate.
Thermo-sensitive computer direct plate making technology can generally be divided into two categories: (1) thermal cross-linking, (2) thermal melting.
The first type of thermal cross-linked plate is a kind of thermal plate that has relatively mature technology and has achieved large-scale commercial production. The basic composition consists of a rough aluminum base plate and a thermal crosslinked material coating. The imaging principle of the plate is mainly to absorb infrared energy from the heat-crosslinked coating mid-infrared absorbing material and transform it into heat energy, so that the thermal cross-linked coating cross-links when the thermal energy reaches a critical temperature, and the exposed plate is During the development, a preheating process is performed to further promote the curing of the crosslinking reaction, followed by development in an alkaline developer to remove no visible light portion coating.
The basic composition of the second type of hot melt type plate is a smooth, inorganized roughened aluminum plate, a hot melt material ink receptive layer, and a PVA layer (or silica gel). The imaging principle is mainly to expose the printing plate with a semiconductor diode. The hot melt material of the heated part is combined with the aluminum plate base to form an ink-receptive layer, and no light part can be peeled off or blown off.
Of course, the thermal technology is still in constant development. At present, there has been research and development of a non-rinsing thermal plate free of chemical liquids and a waterless plate without any process. From the research direction of the entire thermal computer direct plate making technology, we can see that thermal plate computer direct plate making technology is developing towards the direction of non-chemical processing and green environmental protection. This also meets the needs of the entire printing industry for the future of green digital printing trends.
As a relatively mature large-scale commercial production and application of computer-to-plate technology, the thermal technology is increasingly accepted and accepted by customers in the printing industry. What are the advantages of thermal technology?
(1) Brightroom operation Because of the concept of the critical value mentioned earlier, this makes it possible to operate the thermal plate under the bright room. Therefore, there is no need for special cassettes and darkrooms, and the operator can clearly control each step of the process. . For many years, plate-making printers have been trying to move out of the darkroom. One of the key advantages of the thermal technology is that the plates can be processed under bright yellow or white light with UV filtrate waves. This frees the plate makers from the darkness and sees the light.
(2) Abnormal sharp corners, high resolution, no concept of thresholds based on dot gain, this concept is in fact a binary exposure mode, which allows the dot size to be accurately duplicated, and the edge of the dot is sharp, with little Dots increase. After studying the thermal CTP plate, GATF found that the dot reproduction accuracy of the plate can reach 0.5% to 98%, at least 2% to 97%. This is exactly the result of the 1995 GATF survey of visible light plates, visible light version. The highest range of materials can be achieved, the use of thermal CTP plate can get 1100 lines / inch cable image accuracy. And when outputting 600 lines/inch images, it can generate 1% dot. This provides a strong guarantee for the fine prints pursued by the printing industry. This feature of thermal technology has made it quickly selected by many commercial printers worldwide who are looking for quality printing.
(3) Printability of Thermal Plates Meets High-Quality Printing Requirements The thermal CTP plate is very stable on the press. After the plate material is on the machine, only a small amount of overprinting paper can quickly reach the ink-water balance, and this balance can be maintained in the printing, and the water consumption is small. The printing surface has an average prize in the printing process and is free from the concerns of the upper parts. In addition, the heat-resistant printing plate can withstand 150,000 to 250,000 prints without baking, and 1 million prints after baking, and is suitable for matte paper printing and UV inks.
(4) Non-chemical process to reduce environmental pollution Another advantage of today's thermal imaging systems is that the plate can meet the minimum and non-hazardous development requirements as well as the development trend without development. Because the thermal imaging principle is different from the photosensitive plate, on the one hand, it avoids the use of silver salts in the production of plates. On the other hand, it avoids the development and application of flush or rinse-free thermal plates in the process of plate washing. It will be further reduced until the problem of environmental pollution in the plate making process is eliminated.
(5) The image is very stable Because the thermal imaging technology only depends on the critical value, the image generated on the plate after exposure is very stable, and the exposed plate can be extended to develop after 6 months. Affect quality.
(6) Easy to use The thermal CTP plate is similar to the traditional PS plate in terms of feel and processing, and is fully applicable to the existing dampening solution and on-press plate adjustment device. This makes it easy for plate makers and printers to accept and operate this digital media.
Of course, the thermal technology also has its shortcomings, mainly in the need for high-energy laser to make up for the lack of speed. However, with the rapid development of laser technology and the development of thermal technology itself, this deficiency does not affect the overall advantages of thermal technology for the printing industry. At present, there is a supply of thermal media on the market that meets the demand for rapid plate-making in the newspaper market. Its platemaking speed can reach up to 360 sheets per hour, which fundamentally changes the view that the plate speed of thermal plates is slow. State Street surveyed printing customers in 3/4 cities in North America and found that 70% of potential buyers plan to use thermal imaging systems when limiting respondents to indicate only one type of media they like.
The future development trend of the printing and publishing industry is bound to bid farewell to the darkroom, to the digital, eliminate environmental pollution, and finally achieve digital green printing. In the process of printing and publishing industry going digital green printing, thermal computer direct plate making technology will undoubtedly be the best choice. (Ren Hui, Kodak Polyvision Optical Graphic Group Beijing Representative Office) (From "Printing Technology" No.2, 2001)
With the continuous development of computer-to-plate technology, the global printing and publishing industry is also rapidly growing. As the third largest industry in the world, the printing and publishing industry itself is undergoing continuous transformation. The application and development of computer-to-platemaking technology has been recognized by the industry as one of the future directions of the printing industry. According to Vantage Strategic Market and State Street Consultants, industry research yearbooks, by 2003, 18% to 25% of the global demand for printed media will come from computer-to-plate media, and the global installed capacity of computer-to-plate machines will be from 1997. The number of 1,435 units in the year increased to 1,1,500 units in 2003. State Street Consultants also predicts that by 2003, there will be a 53% market share for thermal platesetters in global installed capacity.
What is heat-sensitive technology? Thermal technology refers to the type of energy source needed to image the plate, not the processing of the plate. The image is generated by thermal energy rather than light energy. One of the more important concepts in the thermal technology is the critical value, because the critical value is the key to determine whether the plate is imaged. In other words, under the critical temperature, the plate will not generate images and will not react. When the critical temperature is reached, the plate produces an image, and when the temperature exceeds the critical temperature, which is equivalent to the overexposure in the traditional printing process, the generated dot size and shape will not be affected. This fundamentally solves the problem of inaccurate reproduction of outlets due to overexposure, inadequacy, or human factors in the traditional plate making process. On the other hand, the threshold concept of thermal technology is also equivalent to the core concept in digital technology. It is not a "0" or "1" concept. Whether the image on the plate is only determined by whether or not the critical value is reached. This makes digital computer direct plate making possible. It can be said that the thermal technology is the ideal choice for the direct digital version of the computer to the plate.
Thermo-sensitive computer direct plate making technology can generally be divided into two categories: (1) thermal cross-linking, (2) thermal melting.
The first type of thermal cross-linked plate is a kind of thermal plate that has relatively mature technology and has achieved large-scale commercial production. The basic composition consists of a rough aluminum base plate and a thermal crosslinked material coating. The imaging principle of the plate is mainly to absorb infrared energy from the heat-crosslinked coating mid-infrared absorbing material and transform it into heat energy, so that the thermal cross-linked coating cross-links when the thermal energy reaches a critical temperature, and the exposed plate is During the development, a preheating process is performed to further promote the curing of the crosslinking reaction, followed by development in an alkaline developer to remove no visible light portion coating.
The basic composition of the second type of hot melt type plate is a smooth, inorganized roughened aluminum plate, a hot melt material ink receptive layer, and a PVA layer (or silica gel). The imaging principle is mainly to expose the printing plate with a semiconductor diode. The hot melt material of the heated part is combined with the aluminum plate base to form an ink-receptive layer, and no light part can be peeled off or blown off.
Of course, the thermal technology is still in constant development. At present, there has been research and development of a non-rinsing thermal plate free of chemical liquids and a waterless plate without any process. From the research direction of the entire thermal computer direct plate making technology, we can see that thermal plate computer direct plate making technology is developing towards the direction of non-chemical processing and green environmental protection. This also meets the needs of the entire printing industry for the future of green digital printing trends.
As a relatively mature large-scale commercial production and application of computer-to-plate technology, the thermal technology is increasingly accepted and accepted by customers in the printing industry. What are the advantages of thermal technology?
(1) Brightroom operation Because of the concept of the critical value mentioned earlier, this makes it possible to operate the thermal plate under the bright room. Therefore, there is no need for special cassettes and darkrooms, and the operator can clearly control each step of the process. . For many years, plate-making printers have been trying to move out of the darkroom. One of the key advantages of the thermal technology is that the plates can be processed under bright yellow or white light with UV filtrate waves. This frees the plate makers from the darkness and sees the light.
(2) Abnormal sharp corners, high resolution, no concept of thresholds based on dot gain, this concept is in fact a binary exposure mode, which allows the dot size to be accurately duplicated, and the edge of the dot is sharp, with little Dots increase. After studying the thermal CTP plate, GATF found that the dot reproduction accuracy of the plate can reach 0.5% to 98%, at least 2% to 97%. This is exactly the result of the 1995 GATF survey of visible light plates, visible light version. The highest range of materials can be achieved, the use of thermal CTP plate can get 1100 lines / inch cable image accuracy. And when outputting 600 lines/inch images, it can generate 1% dot. This provides a strong guarantee for the fine prints pursued by the printing industry. This feature of thermal technology has made it quickly selected by many commercial printers worldwide who are looking for quality printing.
(3) Printability of Thermal Plates Meets High-Quality Printing Requirements The thermal CTP plate is very stable on the press. After the plate material is on the machine, only a small amount of overprinting paper can quickly reach the ink-water balance, and this balance can be maintained in the printing, and the water consumption is small. The printing surface has an average prize in the printing process and is free from the concerns of the upper parts. In addition, the heat-resistant printing plate can withstand 150,000 to 250,000 prints without baking, and 1 million prints after baking, and is suitable for matte paper printing and UV inks.
(4) Non-chemical process to reduce environmental pollution Another advantage of today's thermal imaging systems is that the plate can meet the minimum and non-hazardous development requirements as well as the development trend without development. Because the thermal imaging principle is different from the photosensitive plate, on the one hand, it avoids the use of silver salts in the production of plates. On the other hand, it avoids the development and application of flush or rinse-free thermal plates in the process of plate washing. It will be further reduced until the problem of environmental pollution in the plate making process is eliminated.
(5) The image is very stable Because the thermal imaging technology only depends on the critical value, the image generated on the plate after exposure is very stable, and the exposed plate can be extended to develop after 6 months. Affect quality.
(6) Easy to use The thermal CTP plate is similar to the traditional PS plate in terms of feel and processing, and is fully applicable to the existing dampening solution and on-press plate adjustment device. This makes it easy for plate makers and printers to accept and operate this digital media.
Of course, the thermal technology also has its shortcomings, mainly in the need for high-energy laser to make up for the lack of speed. However, with the rapid development of laser technology and the development of thermal technology itself, this deficiency does not affect the overall advantages of thermal technology for the printing industry. At present, there is a supply of thermal media on the market that meets the demand for rapid plate-making in the newspaper market. Its platemaking speed can reach up to 360 sheets per hour, which fundamentally changes the view that the plate speed of thermal plates is slow. State Street surveyed printing customers in 3/4 cities in North America and found that 70% of potential buyers plan to use thermal imaging systems when limiting respondents to indicate only one type of media they like.
The future development trend of the printing and publishing industry is bound to bid farewell to the darkroom, to the digital, eliminate environmental pollution, and finally achieve digital green printing. In the process of printing and publishing industry going digital green printing, thermal computer direct plate making technology will undoubtedly be the best choice. (Ren Hui, Kodak Polyvision Optical Graphic Group Beijing Representative Office) (From "Printing Technology" No.2, 2001)
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