Analysis of application prospects of CTdP system
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In 2007, at the International Printing Information Exchange Conference held by China Printing and Equipment Industry Association, Longma Aluminum Group Company proposed the CTdP system plate making technical solution, which is a kind of ordinary PS plate as photosensitive material and CTP technology. The method of plate making, its development prospects, has aroused the attention of the industry. Especially after more than ten years of development of CTP technology, the CTP plate has also embarked on a stable development track. Not only the variety and quality are stable, but also the new plate varieties are still developing in depth. For example, the CTP version pays more attention to the development of environmental protection, and various chemical-free CTP plates are constantly coming out, and the use method is more convenient to operate. Since the CTP plate has been developed to such a stage, it is now proposed whether there is room for development of the CTdP system and its plates. This paper analyzes this issue to achieve the purpose of common communication.
First, the basic situation of CTdP plate
CTdP plate is the abbreviation of Computer to digital plate. It is a set of efficient, convenient and fast CTdP network printing system launched by Longma Aluminum. The whole system includes: network printing service center, professional design network platform, prepress workflow, digital plate making equipment, digital printing, digital proofing and printing product delivery.
1. Output plate making machine for the system
Longma Aluminum adopts Swiss Losen digital plate making equipment. The main technical parameters are shown in Table 1. The appearance of the equipment is shown in Figure 1.
2. Switzerland Rosen XPose! Plate machine uses the light source
The light source used in the Swiss Rosen platesetter is a 405 nm laser, which belongs to a single beam of light, which is different from the light source used in the ordinary PS plate and CTcP plate, as can be clearly seen from the spectrum of Fig. 2.
It can be seen from the spectrum of Fig. 2 that the CTcP version and the ordinary PS version have wavelengths in the ultraviolet and blue-violet regions, and we can further analyze this spectrum. Ultraviolet light is a piece of electromagnetic radiation other than visible purple light, which can be divided into the following paragraphs according to its nature:
Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), wavelength 100-200nm
Short-wave ultraviolet (UVC) with a wavelength of 200 to 290 nm
Medium-wave ultraviolet (UVB) with a wavelength of 290-320 nm
Long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) with a wavelength of 320-400 nm
Blue light (B): 400 ~ 475nm
Therefore, it can be seen from Fig. 2 that the ordinary PS plate has a photosensitive wavelength range of 360 to 450 nm, mainly in the long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) and near-ultraviolet regions. The DCD of the CTdP system is only in the blue region with a visible wavelength of 405 nm.
Second, CTdP and CTcP performance comparison
In addition to the different wavelength ranges of the CTdP and CTcP technologies, the light source transmission method is different during plate making.
CTcP is the abbreviation of Computer to Conventional Plate, which is a computer-based plate making on the traditional PS version.
At the core of CTcP technology is a digital image imaging technology formed by the combination of Digital Screen Imaging (DSI) developed by BasysPrint of Germany and Digital Micromirror Device (DMD).
The exposure principle of this device is: ultraviolet light emitted from the light source, near-ultraviolet light (wavelength range of 360 ~ 450nm), concentrated on the DMD (digital micromirror device), and then refracted onto the plate by DMD. For the required light, it is directly refracted and passed through the optical lens system to reach the surface of the printing plate to expose the photosensitive material of the printing plate. For unwanted light, the micromirror deflects so that it cannot pass through the lens system and cannot reach the surface of the plate. This ultimately produces an image of the dots on the plate. Figure 3 shows the outline of the UV-Setter of the plate making equipment used in the CTcP version.
Now compare the performance of the currently used thermal version with CTcP plate and CTdP plate and PS plate, as shown in Table 2.
From the comparison in Table 2, it is not difficult to see that the plates of these two systems have the conditions for entering the CTP technology, and the main features are as follows:
1. Save film
As with CTP technology, the film printing process is eliminated.
2. Low price
Since the CTcP system and the CTdP system use the traditional PS version, they are cheaper and have a larger advantage than the price of the expensive CTP plate. Currently, this plate is roughly half the price of the CTP plate.
3. Resolution with printing requirements
Because CTcP technology uses very small square pixels, the square pixels make the edges of the dots clear, which can better represent the details of the image, so that it can maintain the high quality of the image. Moreover, since the film is not required to be printed, the image is basically not affected by the increase or decrease of the dot when the conventional prepress process is used for printing. Similarly, the CTdP version uses laser scanning directly, which also achieves superior results than film printing.
4. Simple operation
Both the CTcP version and the CTdP version can be operated in a bright room environment, which is the same as the thermal CTP version, which is superior to the general photosensitive CTP version and the silver salt CTP version.
5. Reduce the time of printing and debugging
The CTcP version and the CTdP version are more accurate than the traditional analog plate positioning, which is the same as the CTP version.
6. No need to change the current hardware configuration
The CTcP and CTdP versions take advantage of the 1-Bit Tiff workflow, eliminating the need for new equipment and the need for special web interfaces and processes.
7. Easy to be accepted by users
Due to its proximity to traditional processes, it is easily accepted by users. In addition, we find a way out for companies that currently manufacture a large number of PS versions.
In summary, from the above situation, CTcP version and CTdP version have the conditions for making pre-press data of CTP system. The difference is that the CTcP version uses ultraviolet light and near-ultraviolet light, which is roughly the same as the ordinary PS plate. Therefore, the CTcP version can be regarded as an extension of the ordinary PS plate technology. The CTdP version is exposed by a blue single beam, which can also be called a Blu-ray CTP version, which should be regarded as an extension of the CTP plate type.
Third, Can CTdP version become one of the mainstream media in the future?
The CTcP version has been available for 10 years, but development is not fast enough. Whether the CTdP version can become one of the mainstream methods in the future CTP technology will also face great challenges.
1. The influence of the existing CTP platesetter and CTdP platesetter on the market speed
According to the statistics of the printing manager magazine, in 2007, the CTP newly installed capacity was 323 units, and the total amount reached 1,049 units. Compared with the 726 units in 2006, the annual growth rate was 44.49%. Figure 4 shows the growth of CTP installed capacity in recent years.
It is not difficult to see from Figure 4 that the installed capacity of CTP has entered the fast lane in the past four years, and the absolute value added has exceeded 200 units per year. In 2007, the number of additions exceeded 300 units. In this development figure, CTcP machine and CTdP machine also occupy a certain proportion. The number of bass printing plates machine increased by 40 in 2007, making it a total of 129 units, accounting for 12.3% of the total installed capacity in China. Switzerland's Lausanne Xpose! plate-making machine has reached 11 units in China. The development of this situation has made us see that the development prospects of these two technologies are very optimistic. At the same time, we also see the feasibility of using the ordinary PS version to enter the CTP system is growing.
2. If the price reduction of CTP plate is slow or the price reduction is small, it will create opportunities for the development of CTdP.
This problem is mainly reflected in the speed and extent of the increase in the output of CTP plates. According to the statistics of China Printing and Equipment Industry Association, the output and sales volume of CTP plates in 2006 increased by 255.6% and 277 compared with the previous year. %, and the 2007 production and sales volume as of February this year, incomplete statistics, has reached 23.55 million square meters and 21.8 million square meters, the actual production and sales will greatly exceed the previous year. The production and sales of CTP plates in the past four years are shown in Figure 5.
More than half of the more than 2,000 square meters of CTP produced in China are exported to all parts of the world. Some of the CTP plates used in China are imported from abroad. According to China's customs statistics, only imported thermal CTP plates in 2006 and 2007 were 4.312 million square meters and 4,202,800 square meters. At present, the total domestic usage of CTP plates is estimated to be more than 10 million square meters. This figure is estimated to be roughly 1/10 of the PS version. It is expected that the production volume of CTP plates will increase significantly in 2008, which is not only due to the fact that CTP plate technology of domestic independent intellectual property rights has passed, and its output will increase. Moreover, in addition to Agfa's CTP plant built by multinational companies in China, in 2007, Kodak and Fuji's new CTP plate production lines have been put into production. The original Fuji Star has become a wholly-owned company of Fuji. Therefore, there will be more intense competition in the CTP plate market in the future, and this competition will lead to a decline in prices.
However, due to the special circumstances of the heat-sensitive, photosensitive and silver salt CTP plate manufacturing process, the sales price will not drop very quickly, which brings opportunities for the development of the CTdP version.
3. The self-factor of Blu-ray CTP technology
The above two conditions are external factors, and the improvement of the level of the CTdP system itself is an intrinsic factor in the development of this technology.
(1) To solve the problem of expensive plate making equipment
The CTcP system platemaking equipment is much more expensive than the CTP system platemaking price, making some printers daunting. Currently, the price order of the platesetter is: CTP
(2) To improve the speed of the current plate
The plate used by CTdP technology should have higher sensitivity and resolution, and the exposure requirement is generally about 60mJ/cm2, while the current PS plate is mostly above 100mJ/cm2. Therefore, the CTdP plate making speed is slower than that of the CTP plate. In particular, the speed of the photosensitive material of the PS plate has not yet reached the level it should be, and the plate making time is relatively long. In addition, the existing PS plate photosensitive material is adapted to be exposed in a wide wavelength range, and has not formed a high-sensitivity plate in the 405 nm region. To improve the speed of the PS plate, you still need to work on the sensitizer.
(3) Propaganda
A new technology should make people understand and understand, and increasing publicity is an important means. Only a few manufacturers are not active enough. Many practices have proved that production, supply and marketing, and close integration of users are promoting new technologies and gaining experience. One of the good ways.
Conclusion: The emergence of the Blu-ray CTP system has provided very important information to the printing industry and the plate industry, which has enabled many printing companies to see another way to enter the direct plate making. Although there are still many problems to be solved in this way, people have seen the hope of entering the CTP era with the ordinary PS version. Relevant companies and printing houses should practice on this new technology and create new ways.