NozzleBlack CTP inkjet for flexo plate making

 

 

CTF inkjet vs Photo film

A matured new application for film making
     (Up to 175 lpi 1% dot reproduction good for color jobs)

Hilson Huang / NozzleBlack CEO


Although CTP (Computer To Plate making) is widely used in offset printing  industry for years, but it is not all of the offset printers are using this CTP system. Conventional offset printing machine still needs to make positive film first for PS plate image exposure. How can these conventional offset printers are able to enjoy this new digital inkjet technology for their plate making especially when photo film is facing termination and price of it is getting higher and higher day by day due to fewer and fewer photographic film manufacturer in the market.

By using photo film, the expensive investment of equipment such as image setter, film processor are too huge a sum for them to put in, though second hand CTP machine retired from offset is cheaper but it is facing another problem: termination of production and discontinuing supply of parts ... which means not only no more hardware maintenance but also any after service is available.

This will be a nightmare for all existing photo film users which they have to face in near future before it is too late. Fortunately, due to new technology of inkjet nozzle development with improved RIP software for fine dot reproduction the inkjet film making is ripe and mature for the industry now. Users only have to do more adjustment of their mind that black image is no longer to be made by photographic film any more.

No more developer, no more fixer (no chemicals) with no expensive investments for equipment as well as maintenance and electric power consumption, most important advantage is that due to use of no chemical it is very green and friendly to our environment.

Case 1
There is an offset printing factory YF in Tainan which is in the south part of Taiwan, they relied on outsourcing of film to make PS plate for their Roland 200 / Roland 700 and Komori S40 printing machine. Now they are using NozzleBlack inkjet printer making their own film with NozzleBlack PS-RIP software since beginning of 2014, doing wonderful jobs in big size (and the size is accurate in registration) at very low cost for their routine works, the boss is very happy with this inkjet film making system.

This big size printer operate with NozzleBlack PS-RIP special and fine image forming technology can accept HQ-RIP with 1 bit TIFF signal through ink drop control from Adobe in order to distribute ink accurately on film in accordance with the size directly. The size can be from A4 to 1118mm in width and limitless in length.

Case 2
SH is a plate trade shop in New Taipei city, they have relied on out sourcing of the negative film for a long time so they have paid much more attentions to the inkjet CTF. But the fact they have seen is that when the printer works smoothly, it is good, but once it break down there comes the problem and almost has to stop for a long time. The reason is that most of the system sold in the market:
printer / RIP / ink / film always happen different problem and separately, there seems no one is integrated all together in a package. 

Mr. Su, the boss with his wife they want very much to have their own CTF system for film making. Now they are having the concordance from a vender who supply with RIP / Ink / Film which are all certificated by the printer maker,
When Mr. & Mrs. Su are enjoying the quality negative as good as photo film with high opaque black density made by them self, meantime they are also enjoy the wonderful after sales service from the printer dealer for they are using all the materials certificated by the manufacturer. Now they do not have to worry about printer out of order or break down at all.

Case 3
WG co. is a color label printer especially for electronic field which is a most quality demanding printing job of 175 lpi and 1% reproduction in label industry, due to heavy investment of a digital CTP equipment and peripheral machine, they do not want to invest so much.
  
RIP of NozzleBlack is created by a group of engineers who have at least 20 years of practical experience of color separation and screening who knows what are the difference and important points for an inkjet film user from the beginning when they organize the software in addition to the fine dot reproduction and sharp image. The boss Mr. Tsen is very happy with the results of negative made by inkjet printer now.

The cost of inkjet film making can save you about USD 7.00 - 8.00 per square meter (total inkjet film cost is 50-60% of photo film), say if you make 12 m2 film everyday it will save you USD 25,000.- in a year, thus you will have the printer investment returned in half a year. In addition to the PS plate making, multiple usages such as photopolymer / hot stamping / flexo / vanish / embossing and screen printing all after print converting jobs can be also applied. At the end of 2014 YF company has invested a 2nd system for the growing demands. This is proving that inkjet film making is satisfactory and the era of digital film making by inkjet is really opening.

NozzleBlack CTP inkjet for flexo plate making will benefit you by:

1. No more negative film costs.

2. No more vacuum process is necessary. (No more bubble problem.)

3. Save plate making time. (At least 10 -20 minutes)

4. 100% successful jobs. (All sharp image.)                     -140520-

(For more information : www.ctpinkjet.com)

CTP inkjet direct image for flexo & svereen plate making

Flexo inkjet CTP  VCD 1

Flexo CTP demonstration over look VCD (30 s.)     

 

CTP inkjet Flexo VCD 2

Flexo CTP demonstration close–up VCD (30 s.)   

 

Hilson Huang / C E O is having a lecture of FLEXO CTP during

Sino Corrugated Show / April 2014 in DongGuang

 

 

 

 

 

NozzleBlack INK
High Optical Density Black - NB nano ink
NozzleBlack ink is for your inkjet printer to make positive / negative film (CTF) and direct image on plate (CTP) at high black opaque density for printing, the O/D (Optical Density) can reach 3.50 and above which is good enough for thickest photopolymer 7.00mm plate making of long time exposure.

Drying temperature setting
45 degree C
Suitable material
Tracing paper (Vellum)
Non-coated non-treated transparent PET / PVC / OPP / PS / PC
Direct image on photopolymer plates for flexo and letterpress as well as frame mounted screen printing plate. It is a CTP computer to plate process !
Cost analysis
High density black ink USD 0.20 / ml.
(1000ml can print 95% black area for 50 m2)
Cleaning solution     USD 0.06 /ml
(1000ml can be used for black print 50 m2)
So the ink cost of a 95% negative print is USD 4.12 / m2 +
PET 0.1mm price is about USD 1.30 / m2
Total cost of inkjet print for a 95% negative film is USD 5.32 / m2
While m2 price of a photographic film is USD 17.00
For a negative film print costs lower than 31 % of photo film
(if neglected equipment investment of imagesetter + film processor and chemicals.)
While total cost of CTP direct negative image on a plate is only USD 4.12 / m2.
For flexo plate sized 42 x 60 inch (1067 x 1524mm) inkjet cost is USD 6.70
This will be benefited by these advantages:

  1. No more negative film costs.
  2. No more vacuum process is necessary. (No more bubble problem.)
  3. Save plate making time. (At least 10 -20 minutes)
  4. 100% successful jobs. (All sharp image.)                     -140520-

(For more information : www.ctpinkjet.com)

 

Advantages of inkjet CTP direct image
For flexo plate making
                             Hilson Huang  Flexotech / C E O

In 1994 direct image system for photopolymer plate was first introduced, the industry has welcomed this new technology until now. It is however, tremendously expensive equipment investment and 30% higher cost of a digital plate than a conventional photopolymer plate are the reasons not able to be accepted by a plate maker or a printer widely.

Meantime, due to creative development of inkjet technology, spray an image on a non treated or coated film in detailed and fine image is very easy to achieve nowadays, so that to print a negative image on any of photopolymer plate by means of a flat bed inkjet printer no mater it is a flexographic or letterpress plate is no longer difficult to print a fine image on the plate directly any more. The printer is easy to get from the market now at reasonable price and the negative image can be reproduced sharply direct on a flexo plate.

This article will indicate non negative film plate making by direct inkjet image on a photopolymer plate deeply in order to compare with conventional way of plate making and digital plate with black layer coated to make image by means of an expensive laser ablation machine.

Conventional flexo plate making

    From a conventional way of plate making, these are the normal procedures : back exposure film exposure washout drying anti-tack post exposure.
Back exposure is to determine the thickness of a relief base in order to support a finished plate for long run by means of a short exposure on the back of a plate before having an image exposure with a negative film.

     Film exposure is to give the plate an original image from a negative film in order for printing with design, photopolymer plate hence exposed by UVA light to harden the image area while the unhardened part is washout by the solution no mater it is a solvent washout or water washout plate, a relief plate will be ready for printing after drying and anti-tack procedure. Drying is to remove the solution completely from inside a plate during washout which is penetrated into plate, after drying the plate goes back the original thickness and good for printing. By using UVC lamps, it is a dry and easy way to remove the tack of a processed plate if in the past time have to use bleach + hydrochloric acid to achieve this function by which a pollution odor of chlorine is produced and it hurts human respiratory organs a lot.

Laser ablation image on digital plate

     This is so called the pioneer of CTP, (Computer To Plate) which is using a black layer coated photopolymer plate by using laser ablation removing the layer according to image then naked photopolymer areas are waiting for UVA exposure to harden and to form printing relief after washout. Photopolymer is not sensitive to this ultra red light wave at all therefore it is no affection to the plate during UVA exposure afterwards. The digital plate is now as a plate + negative film on it, after expose to UVA lamps entirely, it is completely the same as a conventional plate with negative film exposure already now, the following procedures are the same as conventional plate making. Black layer is easy to be washout with the solution inside the washout tank automatically without any problem, but the film exposure with vacuum pump for close contact without air bubbles in between film and plate is deleted.  

Direct inkjet image new technology
    Due to progressing nozzle technology day by day, its easy to inkjet black image with density over 3.50 on any non-coated or non-treated film as a negative for plate exposure. For this sake, it is also easy to inkjet image on photopolymer plate directly as CTP (Computer To Plate) and vacuum pump is no longer required. Most important is that expensive invest of equipment and do not have to 30%+ cost for the digital anymore by just purchasing an inkjet printer from market and using conventional plate can achieve the CTP process from now on.
A new selection of flexo plate making for corrugated box printing industry with this creative CTP technology is available and in practical use now in addition to ESKO and CREO, this is due to contemporary development of Inkjet printer. Users do not have to buy extremely expensive laser ablation machine or image setter any more in order to save investing cost by using inkjet printer from the market in stead. This new method of flexo plate making is opening a new era of flexo plate making from these following reasons:

1.  You do not have to use photographic film, this will save you not only processing equipment but also expensive photo film, chemicals of developing the film and electricity to maintain the processor… Now the new way of CTP direct image to plate from an inkjet printer is costing you only USD 0.70 per square meter while from the conventional way of film cost from an image setter by using photographic film is costing you at least USD 4.00 /m2 if ignoring the expensive equipment costs.

2.  Laser ablation machine from ESKO or CREO priced at least USD 200,000-400,000 is too expensive and as a magic figure for corrugated industry, while an image setter is also cost too much if compare with a print out from inkjet printer. If you are using a second hand image setter which is retired from offset industry is now also the time to rebuild or repurchase which means that you have to pay for the expensive spare parts and expenses of maintaining the equipment despite of the high cost of photo film which is fading out from market. CTP inkjet from NozzleBlack is your best choice now.

3.  CTP system from NozzleBlack can print your image on any thickness of photopolymer plate by any brand. It also can print on all kind of uncoated and untreated film like PET, OPP or PVC. This is a good news for liquid photopolymer plate makers who do not have to use the thin OPP film any more as a protecting film from resin to negative film. Due to inkjet nano ink technology you can print your image direct to the protecting film with direct contact to photopolymer with a Zero distance contact to reproduce a completely sharp image now and the OPP film does not have to be so thin by which may disturb you during plate making a lot .

4.NB-nano black ink is a another new development by which enable to print higher opaque density black ink on the plate due to nano 20 technology density now can increase over 3.50, which is good for longest exposure time required 7mm photopolymer plate exposure for corrugated printing. Also because of nano technology the ink layer is very hard and not easy to scratch and with no pin hole on solid black area as well as it is less opportunity to block the printer nozzles.

 5.After inkjet, the black ink is hardened and dry, the image is sharp will not spread and inflate so it is good for proceeding UV exposure but it is easy to be solved out during washout process without any residue, after this, plate drying and anti tack treatment procedures are the same with the conventional plate making until to finish a plate.

6.  Due to direct image on plate, therefore do not have to use vacuum pump any more, the always happened problem of air bubble involved in between the plate and negative film is avoided which was a major reason why can not make a good plate for printing. From now on the plate making can be 100% successful and save you 10-20 minute process time and labor from accessing the vacuum procedure on the machine. 

7.Round shape dots in 45 degree is printed clearly dot by dot and reproduction up to 60 LPI which is good enough for screen printing and corrugated plate making. This is a most economic and convenient way with 100% successful job to inkjet direct image on plate now, by using this new CTP system, you do not have to hire a skilled engineer with high pay.

  8.  Existing softwares for your graphic design can be kept on using, our RIP soft ware is enable you to make fine dot for continuous tone printing which is no difference with a dot done by photographic film. From the RIP software, gradations and flat screen areas can be also reproduced as good as from an image setter.

Conclusions summarized as following for easy understanding :

A. Photographic film is no longer required, computer image can be printed direct on any photopolymer plate
B. NozzleBlack inkjet printer is costing you as common as a printer from market, which is saving you lots of investment and to use expensive black-coated digital plate.
C. No need to use vacuum unit any more, no more contact problem in between negative film and plate so it is easy to make a good plate with 100% success.
D. @flexo CTP system simplified the plate making procedure for easy access and saving 10-20 minutes process time. Skillful engineer for plate making is no longer required.                                      


 www.ctpinkjet.com

 

@flexo CTP open a new era of photopolymer plate making

 

@flexo CTP open a new era of photopolymer plate making

Vacuum contact problem with air in between negative film and plate is always a

nightmare for photopolymer plate making over 80% of defected plate which make

image not sharp and clear and become not usable because of this.

CTP inkjet make direct image on plate can solve this problem 100% in addition due to

no more vacuum procedure is required, therefore the procession time can be reduce

over 20 minutes of escaping air and drawing down time.

 

Direct-inkjet technology for flexo plates

 

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New CTP Inkjet -- NozzleBlack

 

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This article has been included as a special information on science and technology by:

TIB / German Library of Science and Technology

(German National Library for all areas of engineering as well as architecture, chemistry, information technology, mathematics and physics )   

ISSN: 0020-8191  Classification: DDC 676.288

 

 

New CTP Inkjet

 

Due to NozzleBlack, its easy to inkjet black image with density
over 3.50 on tracing paper and any non-coated film as a negative
for plate exposure.

RD team of @flexo league has tried to print it on photopolymer
plate directly as CTP plate (Computer To Plate) and find the result
is good and vacuum is not required any more.

In China Print 2013, @flexo is announcing this new total solution of
CTP inkjet system at booth E12-062 welcome your visit. A rival in
the industry gives comment this CTP inkjet may open a new era of
future flexo plate making.

more...

NozzleBlack digital direct inkjet ¡V Flexo CTP

Hilson Huang / CEO - Flexo Technology

In May 2012 during Drupa, a new machine of digital inkjet printing press was shown and have been commended as a great innovation after Mr. Johannes Gutenberg had invented a printing press. As a matter of fact it was derived from electronic image forming technology by liquid electro-ink method in 1993 during IPEX, by using magnetic field reaction to form an image on a roller then transfer to paper or substrate.
After 20 years, direct image to photopolymer plate by inkjet printer ¡V CTP INKJET for photopolymer plate making without using any film is also becoming popular.

Actually, this is an extensive development of CTF (Computer To Film), due to new Nano-ink technology, CTP (Computer To Plate) INKJECT is now practical, ordinary, economic and substantial with more versatility of wider range for substrate selection. NozzleBlack can inkjet black image to any untreated film and uncoated paper as tracing paper which is a cheapest translucent paper material for negative making as a film in stead of photosensitive films. in May 14-17 2013, CTP INKJET for photopolymer plate making was announced in China Print by which a new era of Flexo CTP is opened.

Conventional photographic film manufacturers have announced to terminate their production, this has scared most of the users, film price increase day by day thus has forced consumers to pursue other methods in stead. Due to Nano-ink technology, nowadays to prepare a dye in 20 nano as raw material is no longer difficult, plus additives for the dye, it is easy to have a ink layer by inkjet at 40-50 nano and reaching the same density as offset ink layer which is 400-500 nano, however the consumption of ink is only 10% only, no matter it is an ink layer of color reflection or black opaque to block light transmission when forming the plate image by UV lamps. This is the reason why we can use the ink to spray image directly on the photopolymer plates as a negative film with 0-distance with plate, despite it¡¦s a letterpress plate or flexographic plate in any thickness from any brand. www.ctpinkjet.com

Specialty of nano-ink

Nano-ink can absorb and reflect more light than a regular ink so that reproduction of a dot is showing sharper, slippery, even and more shining in order to reflect more colorful areas of YMCK inks and most important is 15% more color reflection than an offset printing ink layers. This is the specialty of nano-ink which is reducing ink absorbed by the substrate in order for shining up more colorful. Moreover, with thinner layer of nano-ink inkjet printers can spray it at higher speed, no mater it is a treated or untreated surface, film or paper with no coagulation or spreading at all or even on any photopolymer plate material which is available from the market.

CTP Inkjet spray

NozzleBlack CTP inkjet is using a spray head with 2 sets of YMCK each for color printing in total of 8 nozzles. For negative image spray we use only K ink in black color. Depends on the ink density, once the opaque is not good enough then we suggest to use 2 nozzles to spray K ink at a time, thus will assure the black optical density over 3.50 which is excellent enough during plate making in order to block out the UV light and keep image sharp despite of it is a rough image or fine image. Meantime, the other
6 nozzles can be spared for future use.

Advantages of CTP Inkjet

£»Nano-ink
Nano dye with additives can allow ink drying quickly on non-treated substrates, the cost is cheaper than UV based ink and no UV curing device is required so as to purchase a very expensive laser image ablator, which will save you a lot from hardwares.??
£»Ink saving
Comparing with offset printing ink layer the CTP inkjet ink layer is only 10% in thickness which means that ink cost can be reduced a lot not only in consuming quantity but also cost of transportation.
£»Energy saving
No UV curing or extra drying unit is necessary when using nano ink, therefore it is also saving energy, after inkjet only a small bulb on the printer will dry up the ink quickly, this will also reduce problems of nozzle blocking.?
£»Reducing costs
Use no more photographic film so the film cost is reduced. Due to use of nano ink a A2 sized plate will consume only 4 cc of black ink but able to achieve optical density over 3.50. Thus will not have to use Digital plate any more which is about 30- 40% cost up than a conventional photopolymer plate.
£»Any substrates
Wide range of substrates can be used and no special treating or coating is required therefore, can inkjet on any letterpress plate, flexographic plate, water wash flexo plate as well as for liquid photopolymer plate making. RD team finds that direct image on film for liquid resin spreading can be also sprayed in order for resin contact directly to the image with 0-distance. This has solved no-sharp-reproduction bad impression from the beginning when liquid photopolymer plate making technical had been invented.

Conclusion

NozzleBlack CTP inkjet for flexo no film plate making is not using a special printer but a regular printer which you can get from the market only we have paid more attention to the portions of: fine reproduction, easy access, less breakdown as well as reasonable hardware cost so that it can be accepted by the industry easily no mater how big size is required. This is quite different from a kind of small size A2 machine available in the market but only good for thickness less than 2.30mm from which the market is divided.

In summarizing, a new era of CTP inkjet for photopolymer plate making is opened right after the China Print show in 2013, as Jessica Harkins reported on the Flexo magazine there is a wide array of people will make up the flexographic industry, business owners, design partners, creative brains, old-school fundamentalists, young techs and everyone in between will work together to make flexo industry stronger. NozzleBlack is expecting here the flower blossom. www.nozzleblack.com

    @flexo CTF / CTP PRINTER  SPECIFICATIONS

NozzleBlack Models

NB-1080

NB-0610

Printer Technology

Drop-on-demand Micro Piezo Inkjet Technology

Print Head Nozzle Configuration

180 nozzles x 8 lines

Print Height Adjustment

1.20mm-2.00mm

Ink cartridge

Ink Types

NozzleBlack Nano Black Ink (k)

Capacity

220 ml Cartridge (+-5%)

Maximum Media Width

1.080 mm

610 mm

Minimum Media Width

150 mm

Media Thickness

0.30mm ~ 1.30 mm (CTF) 0.50mm-7.00mm (CTP)

Maximum Roll Media Weight & Media Core Diameter

19 kg / Φ 150 mm
(3 inch core / 2 inch core)

5 kg /Φ 100 mm
(3 inch core / 2 inch core)

Maximum Print Width

1.074 mm

604 mm

Print Margin

3 mm (front) / 3 mm (Back) / 3 mm(Left / Right)

Print Resolutions

1440 dpi / 720 dpi / 360 dpi

Maximum Production Speed (¡°1)

A1 size Printing : 33 seconds

Interface

Ethernet 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T

Printer Language

MH-GL,MH-GL2.MH-RTL +ALL GRAPHIC SOFTWARE

Memory

256 MB

Drying Heater

Adjustable up to 40 degree C

Power supply

AC100-240 +-10% (50 / 60 Hz)

Power Consumption

Power OFF

1 W

Operation

100 W

Noise Level

67.7 Db

Operating Environment

Temperature 10~350c / Humidity 40~60%

Certifications

MET(USA),  CE(EU), FCC(USD),  VCCI(JAPAN),  RoHS(EU), CB REPORT

Dimensions (W x D x H)

(W) 1.772 mm x (D)504 mm x (H) 983 mm

(W) 1.192 mm x (D)504 mm x (H) 357 mm

Printer Weight

Body

45.0 kg

30.5 kg

Stand

16.5 kg

           12.5 kg

Packing Dimension

Body

(W) 1.905 mm x (D)630 mm x (H) 581 mm

(W) 1.343 mm x (D)652 mm x (H) 510 mm

Stand

(W) 1.510 mm x (D)435 mm x (H)260 mm

 

G/W

90 kg

70kg

 

 

Big brother of LaserBlack - NozzleBlack

 

An inkjet black enhancing system ¡§NozzleBlack¡¨ has been created for big format negative making.

The black density can reach 3.50 and quality is as well as LaserBlack which is good for photopolymer

plate making of long time exposure. The width is from 48 / 65 / 122 cm x limitless in length.

By using contemporary technology of nano-ink, ¡§NozzleBlack¡¨ is now available in

high black density and can be printed on any untreated film or tracing paper (vellum) as you like in

order to save your film cost, no special media or special coating film is necessary any more.

Now with this new ¡§NozzleBlack¡¨ system, you can have your negative as big as you like and the

cost is only 25% to 30% of the photographic film (image setter film). Now you can really say

good bye to photo film. more...