Cymbolic Sciences PlateJet 4
Transcription
Cymbolic Sciences PlateJet 4
Cymbolic Sciences has the largest installed base of visible light CTP systems. We offer flexible and reliable products that deliver optimum performance at a very affordable price. Our imaging systems are more productive and less expensive than comparable thermal products currently on the market.With the ability to image on different brands of film, paper, polyester and metal plates from a variety of suppliers, you have the flexibility to choose the most suitable media for your production environment. And since all our systems are designed with an open interface, you have the freedom to choose the workflow solution that best fits your needs. For CTP solutions that simply work, come ’round to our way of thinking. Cymbolic CTP vi Why CTP Today? There’s no question that CTP increases productivity and improves print quality. By eliminating film, you get a final reproduction that is crisper, with superior highlight and shadow detail. Plates imaged using CTP technology are cleaner since there’s no dust or vacuum frame contact to worry about. By eliminating stripping, you save on the cost of film and chemistry and increase production capacity in your prepress and platemaking departments. With CTP, you’ll also see big savings on press. Plates imaged using Cymbolic Sciences technology register perfectly from plate to plate and within each form. As a result, you’ll reduce makeready time and waste. All of which adds up to more jobs per shift. Correction Loop CTP WORKFLOW Digital File Preflight Check Trapping Composite Laser Proofs Separated Laser Proofs Press Sheet Inposition Corrections Image to Plates Color Proof Customer Approval Printing Correction Loop CONVENTIONAL WORKFLOW Digital File Preflight Check Trapping Composite Laser Proofs Separated Laser Proofs Film Stripping Output to Film Color Press Sheet Proofs Imposition Stripping Corrections Contact Film to Plates Composite Proof / Blueline Customer Approval Printing sibly simple Why Visible CTP? Visible plates are the most widely used and proven CTP plates available. In the past year alone, media manufacturers have released three new versions of visible CTP plates, with plans to release further revisions in 1999. While thermal technology is being promoted as a new and advanced development, it is actually an alternative technology. In fact, thermal film has been available as an alternative to visible film for many years. However, visible media continue to be popular choices due to consistency in exposure and excellent press performance. Visible plates require minimal processing, without the need for complex pre- or post-baking of the plate for average run lengths. Most unbaked visible plates run longer than unbaked thermal plates.Thanks to new developments in plate technology, many visible plates can also be baked for extremely long run lengths, just like their thermal counterparts. Visible CTP systems are also less costly than thermal systems and have a lower continuing cost of ownership.While the ability to handle thermal plates in white-light environments (versus safe-light conditions for visible plates) is considered an advantage, the added facility space required for a thermal CTP workflow makes it a costly advantage. For quality-conscious printers with an eye on the bottom line, a visible CTP system is simply the best choice. Why Cymbolic CTP? Choose a successful product. Cymbolic Sciences may not be the most well-known CTP manufacturer, but it is one of the most successful. We’ve built simple and reliable products that are affordable and easy to use. By partnering with major suppliers, including Agfa and Fuji, Cymbolic Sciences has installed hundreds of semi-automatic, visible light CTP systems — most of them at medium size printers in Europe and North America. Depend on our proven pedigree. Although Cymbolic CTP systems were first introduced at Drupa ’95, their core technology has a longer-standing pedigree. The systems are built using precision technology from our Fire 9000 laser photoplotter introduced to the Printed Circuit Board industry in 1986. These photoplotters are capable of imaging up to 16,000 dpi and maintaining registration through dozens of film layers. More than 600 photoplotters have been installed at electronic manufacturing plants around the world — 97% of them are still in production today. Cymbolic Sciences has continued to develop and enhance the core internal drum imaging technology over the past decade. As a result, Cymbolic CTP technology has the longest proven track record of any CTP system available today. Expect worry-free performance and imaging accuracy. With only three moving parts, it’s no wonder Cymbolic CTP systems have an excellent reputation for reliability. And since film or plates are held stationary within an internal drum, imaging accuracy is inherent. To image, a vacuum holds media stationary against the inner wall of the drum, while a laser beam is projected down the center of the drum and then reflected on to the media by a rapidly rotating mirror. The mirror is the only moving part in the optical system, therefore accuracy is high. And since it uses non-contact air bearings on all surfaces, there is no mechanical wear. On external drum systems, mechanical wear introduces low and high-frequency vibrations that are shown as artifacts in the images. The variable speeds and resolutions of internal drum units also allow users to expose a wide variety of materials, including graphic arts film and paper, visible photopolymer, polyester, and silver-halide plates. Internal Drum Laser light focused onto media plane Media Optic s Plat Cross scan direction e Single facet mirror on Air Bearing Laser light column Pick technology that offers choices. Standard in all Cymbolic platesetters is a frequencydoubled (FD) YAG 532nm laser that exposes a wide range of CTP plates from a number of plate manufacturers. With visible plates, users have a broad choice of plates, performance, price and suppliers. FD-YAG lasers have a longer useful life than thermal lasers, which results in significantly lower maintenance costs. Modulated to expose either the image or non-image areas of the plate, the FD-YAG laser exposes a wide range of media, such as positive and negative-working CTP plates and graphic arts film or paper. The laser is focused to a fine spot on the media to expose the media in a range of resolutions optimized for quality and productivity. The single laser beam, internal drum configuration of Cymbolic platesetters provides a wide range of exposure resolutions that you can select to suit your production environment. This configuration avoids the imaging artifacts associated with stitching multiple head systems, typical of external drum CTP systems. Rely on simplicity. The optics of Cymbolic systems are simple and efficient,providing a tightly focused beam at the surface of the plate. Since the optical system of an internal drum unit has a long focal length,it provides consistent high quality without the need to calibrate or compensate for different media types or gauges. Enjoy the flexibility of film and plates. Cymbolic Sciences platesetters image plates, film and paper. Having one device means printers can transition easily into a full CTP workflow. As more clients provide digital files, plates can be imaged without having to upgrade or add more equipment. Since all of Cymbolic’s platesetters accommodate a wide range of media sizes, operators can easily switch sizes and type of material from one job to the next, without losing valuable time. Each unit automatically resets its exposure setting for the media from the file data. Along scan direction Focusing lens A vacuum holds film or plates stationary within the internal drum, resulting in exceptional accuracy. With only three moving parts, there is little mechanical wear. Kevin Nicholds Vice President, Operations Dollco Printing Ottawa, Canada “The open architecture of Cymbolic Sciences platesetters allows us to use RIP solutions that minimize workflow problems and keep our presses working like clockwork.” Enhance throughput within hours of installation. Cymbolic systems are so simple to use, they are typically up and running within hours of installation. A semi-automatic plate handling system means that you can load or unload a plate in as little as ten seconds. Operator controls are positioned at the front of the unit. Since most operations are automatic, there are only three switches and three status indicators, each of which is labeled and illuminated to indicate the status of operation. The film or plate is positioned on the tray and registered against the pins of the gripper bar. A series of electrical sensors in the gripper provides consistent and accurate registration between plates, even if the plates are not dimensionally accurate. Once a plate contacts the pins, the gripper automatically engages and clamps the plate firmly in position. For film, the operator pushes a button to engage the gripper. Plate Handling Media Media Clamp Once the plate or film is clamped, the operator pushes the gripper bar to load it into the unit. A squeegee roller or guides ensure that the plate or film is positioned securely against the surface of the drum. The vacuum automatically turns on to hold the plate or film in position and the laser begins exposing the media. When laser exposure is complete, the vacuum automatically turns off to release the plate or film. The operator pulls the gripper bar back to the load position and the plate or film is automatically released for removal and processing. Since the gripper clamps and fixes the plate from load to unload and throughout the exposure cycle, full registration is maintained between plates, significantly reducing press make-ready times. This method of loading and unloading plates and film is fast and accurate and provides considerable flexibility in handling a wide variety and sizes of plates and films. Select the ideal workflow solution for your business. All Cymbolic systems connect to a computer host via a standard wide-differential SCSI interface. The host computer may be an Apple Macintosh, Intel-based Windows NT/95/98,Alpha-based Windows NT, SGI, SUN or other Unix based system. The connected workstation can be a dedicated RIP or also support associated applications, such as imposition and trapping. The price/performance of the RIP is usually determined by the nature and volume of production. There are many products available from leading RIP Workflow manufacturers that drive the whole family of platesetters from Cymbolic Sciences. These include: Agfa Apogee, Agfa Intellinet PlateFlow, ArtQuest Crescendo, Compose Systems Netflow, Cymbolic Sciences PlateQ, Fuji CelebraNT, Fuji HQ RIP, HighWater TorreNT, LDR Fusion, Monotype RIP Express, Rampage Systems and Xitron Navigator. Using our PlateQ as a workflow solution also allows many other workflow solutions to be used. PlateQ can accept files from a wide range of RIPs connected to a network. It holds ripped, compressed bitmap files and sends them to the platesetter as required. This configuration allows connection to any suitable RIP on a network and even allows the transfer of files to a remote site. As the files require no processing, imaging can begin immediately. These files can also be saved until a job is off the press, in case a plate re-make is required. Many solutions have already been certified as PlateQ-compatible including: all Harlequin ScriptWorks OEM products, and PCC PageFlow and PackFlow. Make an affordable decision. You don’t have to be a large printer to benefit from our CTP technology. Our prices are comparable to a similar size imagesetter so you can count on a fast return on investment. With CTP you’ll expand profits by increasing productivity, reducing material cost and improving print quality. Our semi-automatic plate handling system means you can load or unload a plate in as little as ten seconds. Greg Tremonti President NTA Graphics Toledo, USA “The NewsJet’s simplicity of operation was important for our business.We needed a system that was going to be very reliable, not mechanically complex.The NewsJet directly preceeds the press in our workflow; its low failure rate has been critical to its success.” CTP for every application Cymbolic Sciences has CTP systems installed in commercial printing plants, daily newspapers, business forms printers, insert printers and book publishers. We have developed a line of products to suit various production environments. PlateJet8. An 8-up platesetter, PlateJet8 exposes plates and film up to 44 x 36" (111.7 x 91.4cm) at resolutions up to 4,000 dpi. PlateJet8 is capable of imaging 12 full-size plates an hour, which includes loading and unloading of media. Its fast semi-automatic load/unload system handles a wide range of media sizes, without any hardware reconfiguration. PlateJet4. Cymbolic Sciences’ PlateJet4 images plates and film from 9 x 14" (23 x 35cm) to 37 x 27" (94 x 69cm). Ideal for commercial web and 4-up offset printing applications, it images at resolutions up to 4,000 dpi. NewsJet. Designed for the newspaper industry, the NewsJet is built for speed, imaging a single truck plate in 45 seconds at 1,000 dpi. With a maximum image size of 37 x 27" (94 x 69cm) and resolution up to 2,000 dpi, it’s suitable for all commercial web applications. PlateQ. Queuing software for all Cymbolic Sciences platesetters, PlateQ provides a broad network connection to software RIPs and workstations. PlateQ accepts standard compressed TIFF files, assigns exposure parameters for various plates or films and drives the connected CTP unit. Jim Moss Co-owner, Production Director Jensen Press Somerset, England “By going direct to plates from digital files with laser light we’re getting registration that’s spot on. And we don’t have to spend 15 minutes cleaning the dust spots off a set of plates. By the end of a week we’ve saved about six to seven hours in production time.” A mature service organization. As a manufacturer of capital equipment that is critical to our customer’s operation, Cymbolic Sciences prides itself on maintaining a top notch service organization. Field support staff are located in major centers throughout Europe, the USA, and at our customer service center in Vancouver, Canada. All Cymbolic field engineers only service Cymbolic Sciences products. Customers in the Far East, Australia, the Middle East and South America are serviced by our factory-trained distributors. Critical parts are readily available from our outlets in the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, and at the Federal Express distribution center in Memphis, USA. This means that parts can be ordered up to 10:30pm EST, 6 days a week for delivery to a customer’s facility by 10:30am the following day (Federal Express does not deliver on Sundays or holidays). Cymbolic Sciences offers several flexible maintenance options that meet the variable needs of our customers. Custom agreements can also be arranged to satisfy unique requirements. Depending on the service agreement, our customers can access an engineer 24 hours a day, Monday through Saturday and between 8:00am to 5:00pm on Sundays. Our corporate story. Cymbolic Sciences develops, manufactures and markets digital imaging products, including Computer-to-Plate systems, wide format printers and film recorders for various markets. The company serves its customers through its head office in Bellingham,Washington, a manufacturing and development operation in Vancouver, Canada, and additional offices in Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Cymbolic Sciences was founded in 1986. From 1986 to 1992, the company was based in Southern California, where it manufactured and sold a line of automated optical inspection (AOI) instruments for the printed circuit board industry. In 1990, the company acquired the assets and product lines of the electro/optical products division (EOP) of MacDonald Dettwiler (MDA) in Richmond, British Columbia. EOP was formed in 1984 to develop and market products stemming from MDA’s successful continuous-tone Fire 240 film recorder used in the American space program. In 1986, the Fire 1000 film recorder was developed for prepress shops and photo labs and was shown for the first time at Drupa. During 1985, EOP developed its first half-tone film recorder, the Fire 9000, which it marketed to the printed circuit board industry.The Fire 9000 gained a reputation for being the highest quality photoplotter available. More than 600 of the photoplotters have been installed worldwide; more than 97% are still used in daily production.The core technology of this product forms the basis of Cymbolic Sciences’ current line of CTP products. After the acquisition of EOP by Cymbolic Sciences, engineers from the two organizations were brought together to further develop EOP’s product lines. In 1992, Cymbolic Sciences discontinued the AOI products and relocated its engineering and manufacturing headquarters to Richmond, British Columbia. Since 1995, Cymbolic has introduced new half-tone and continuous-tone products including the PlateJet, NewsJet and LightJet, all of which have refined the end-user’s workflow efficiencies. Cymbolic Sciences has more than 1500 imaging machines installed in 41 countries. [email protected] www.cymbolic.com PlateJet, NewsJet, LightJet and Cymbolic Sciences are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cymbolic Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Victor Giles Pre-press Systems Manager Christian Publicity Organization Worthing, England “We consulted with the British Printing Industries Federation and the organization told us Cymbolic Sciences platesetters are the most reliable and have a proven record.” USA Cymbolic Sciences 665 West Stuart Road Bellingham, Washington 98226 Tel. (360) 756-4000 1-800-251-5863 Fax. (360) 756-4055 Canada Cymbolic Sciences 13231 Delf Place, Bldg 501 Richmond, British Columbia V6V 2C3 Tel. (604) 273-7730 1-800-251-5863 Fax. (604) 273-2775 Europe Cymbolic Sciences Hettenheuvelweg 41 1101 BM Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel. (31) 20-6919-221 Fax. (31) 20-6911-371 Asia Cymbolic Sciences 8 / F Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2899-2975 Fax: (852) 2899-2976 [email protected] www.cymbolic.com Printed in Canada by Broadway Printers using plates imaged on PlateJet. 04/99 UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE For additional information please visit us online or call 800-816-5755 (International Callers: 941-925-1303) rti-rips.com 800-816-5755 Original Equipment Manufacturer for: