Corrugated Post-print: Conventional or Digital?

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

2. 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?

3. Indeed, CTP Is Growing Rapidly 420 320 250 175 125 80 30 10 2 Installation of Laser Systems - World wide

4. Do The Benefits Of CTPApply To Corrugated?

5. 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

6. Just One Commercial… BASF

7. 62° 58 42° 32° Yes, We Have The Digital Plates! ACE DII ° FAH DII ART DII FAC DII 0° Shore A 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° Hardness

8. End Of Commercial. BASF

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

14. PlatePatcher Software For Post-mounted Jobs • 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

15. Video / Electronic Mounting Device 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

16. 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

17. The Print Test… BASF

18. Team Involved • BASF Printing Systems: Plates, Data, & Reporting • Fox Valley Technical: Printing • Schawk Chicago: File Prep., Platemaking, Mounting, & Data

19. 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

20. Image Target Designed

21. Image Target Designed

22. Keeping Things Fair… BASF

23. Light (UV) Light (UV) Scattering area Scattering area Light Scattering Vacuum film Film base Silver emulsion Release layer Relief layer Blackmask Relief layer Conventional plate Digital plate

24. Polymer Dot Reduction From O2 UV Light ablation Black mask

25. O2 O2 O2 O2 Ø conventional O2 Ø digital O2 Dot Reduction From O2

26. Dot Reduction From O2

27. File Film = = = = Plate Plate We Worked To Make All Dots Physically Equal On The Plates

28. Mask Plate File In Other Words, A 10% Dot Is The Size Of A 10% Dot

29. Measured Dot Physical Surface Diameters On Plates

30. The Print Results… BASF

31. Solid Ink Density Comparison

32. Side By Side Comparisons

33. Side By Side Comparisons

34. Side By Side Comparisons Digital Conventional

35. Side By Side Comparisons Conventional Digital

36. Dot Gain: 42 LPI White

37. Dot Gain: 65 LPI White

38. Dot Gain: 85 LPI White

39. Dot Gain: 42 LPI Kraft

40. Dot Gain: 65 LPI Kraft

41. Dot Gain: 85 LPI Kraft

42. Side By Side Comparisons Digital Conventional

43. 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!

44. Thank You! Dan Rosen Accounts Manager BASF Printing Systems rosend@basf.com BASF