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1 Computer-to-Plate White Paper by Robert J. Weber Rev Commerce Park Road Cleveland eland,, Ohio
T F ob-web -weber er.com bob ob-web -weber er.com

2 COMPUTER-TO-PLATE White Paper by: Robert J. Weber 1st Revision September 6, nd Revision
September 5, 2008 Page Introduction... 1 CTP Evolution... 2 Laser and Plate Technology: Laser
Wavelength... 4 Laser Power... 6 Plate Sensitivity... 8 Laser Design Creo Laser Head Chart Laser Life
Laser Operating Cost Procedures to Access Laser Usage on Platesetters Laser Technology - Violet vs
Thermal Measures of Platesetter Productivity Productivity Charts: External Drum Agfa Kodak - Creo -
Scitex Presstek Screen Heidelberg Lüscher Productivity Charts: Internal Drum Agfa - Escher Grad -
Heidelberg Fuji Productivity Charts: Flatbed Screen - Agfa - ECRM Trade Practices Manufacturers
Product Offerings Creo Screen Agfa Heidelberg Fuji ECRM Presstek Escher Grad Lüscher Conclusion...
65

3 Overview of Computer-to-Plate (CTP) Technology INTRODUCTION Over the last 27 years, the staff at
Bob Weber, Inc. (BWI) has witnessed numerous revolutions transpire in the prepress segment of the
printing industry. During that 27 year journey, we have witnessed the evolution of platemaking technology
from a multi-stepped process that involved paper, cameras and film, to the current technology of imaging
directly to the printing plate. This journey has resulted in a wealth of knowledge. Through this paper, we
wish to impart as much of that knowledge as possible. Although by no means comprehensive, this
knowledge should prove useful to those who are considering purchasing CTP equipment but have not
been exposed to the progress and trends of CTP technology. The information contained herein was
obtained from manufacturers brochures, subscription information services, web sites, our own experience
with equipment, and our many contacts and informants throughout the industry. We welcome any
corrections, additions, or critique that readers may have, so that we can improve upon the content or
accuracy of this paper and remove any elements of unintended bias. We have included information that is
not readily available to those not immersed in the imaging equipment business. We strongly believe that It
s not what they tell you but what they don t tell you that you must be most concerned about. We hope this
paper can help you identify what they are not telling you. We hope to provide you with the information that
will enable you to make the best decision to not only fulfill your existing needs, but to position yourself
properly for future technology changes and growth, regardless of whether that final decision results in
business for BWI. We feel that the information contained in this paper will arm you with the knowledge to
ask the right questions and, hopefully, help you make the best choice possible for your company. We
have segmented this paper into the sections listed below. Please note that we have not addressed
platesetters specifically designed for the newspaper and flexo markets in this paper, as we possess little
to no knowledge or experience with the vast majority of these machines. CTP EVOLUTION With a rather
broad brush, we cover major elements in the evolution of CTP from its inception. LASER AND PLATE
TECHNOLOGY The transition of imaging from film to plate has at its core the evolution of laser
technology. There are a variety of factors that influence the use of laser technology in CTP equipment.
These factors include laser type, power, design, life, operating cost, and plate sensitivity. We address
each of these in separate sub-sections. We also address corresponding evolution in plate technology.
VIOLET VERSUS THERMAL We summarize the pros and cons of the two dominant technologies in the
market. MEASURES OF PLATESETTER PRODUCTIVITY In this section, we present an objective
measurement of the productivity of various platesetters on the market. MANUFACTURERS PRODUCT
OFFERINGS This section attempts to provide insight into the evolution of product development by the
major players in the U.S. marketplace. This section in particular should prove useful in clarifying the
various and often confusing product lines offered by platesetter manufacturers. TRADE PRACTICES We
address some of the common tactics and policies of the major equipment manufacturers in their sale and
support of platesetters and related peripherals. CONCLUSION 1

4 CTP EVOLUTION CTP engineering evolved from computer-to-film (CTF) imagesetter technology, which
was predominantly internal drum. In this design, the media is vacuumed to the internal surface of the
drum and exposed by a laser beam reflected by a mirror (or mirrors) mounted on a high speed spinner
motor. The laser is positioned a considerable distance from the media and moves across it to expose the
image. Because of this distance, a sensitive media emulsion is required for the system to function. When
this design was incorporated into CTP equipment, the most viable laser was a 532 nanometer (nm) YAG
green laser. Other available lasers were the 633 nm red and the 488 nm blue gas lasers. The most viable
media was silver-based plate, which could be exposed by all three laser types. Internal drum construction,
utilizing a single laser diode, was the technology of choice in the mid 1990s, when CTP technology first
began to emerge. Most early entrants into the CTP market, such as Agfa, Autologic, Cymbolic Sciences,
Purup, and Western Litho, chose the 532 nm YAG laser, following the lead of Creo, who pioneered CTP
technology with their 3244 Platesetter. Competitors such as Barco (which later became part of Esko
Graphics) and ECRM chose the 488 nm blue gas laser. History proved the choice of the blue laser to be a
mistake, primarily because of its high failure rate, often in less than 1,000 hours. A few manufacturers
also offered equipment with the 633 nm red laser, since this laser was well accepted and understood in
CTF technology. From these primitive laser technologies evolved violet laser diode technology, which is
used in almost all internal drum-based CTP equipment today. The violet diodes cost less than the blue
and green lasers, and can also be used in a more user-friendly yellow safe-light environment. Although
the majority of early CTP devices were based on internal drum design, several manufacturers took a
different approach: Creo and Scitex initially, joined soon thereafter by Screen. These companies
recognized the limitations inherent in internal drum technology for imaging directly to plate emulsions.
Rather than using the traditional internal drum technology, these pioneers developed external drum
recorders bearing an 830 nm infrared laser. In this design, the media is clamped to the external surface of
the drum, which allows for mounting of the laser a few centimeters from the media. Mounting the laser
closer to the plate, combined with the design of a powerful laser source with multiple laser diodes, created
the ability to expose what is known today as thermal plates. The use of thermal plates eliminated the
need for a darkroom or safelight environment. In addition, the thermal plates had the advantage of
durability for print runs of upwards of a million if baked. The external drum approach also had its roots in
film imagesetting devices. External drum imagesetters were being marketed by Screen and also by
Orbotech, a lesser known Israeli manufacturer of very large format imagesetters. Behind the scenes of
these two manufacturers lay Creo, a little known company at the time. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Creo
was a major supplier of components to these manufacturers. Creo held the patents and supplied to
Orbotech nearly all of the major components for its external drum recorders, and supplied similar
components to Screen. Creo did not, however, design and manufacture actual imagesetters, which
placed it in the unique position of having advanced imaging technology but with little vested interest in
CTF. Creo was the first to come out with a thermal external drum platesetter, introducing their pioneering
Trendsetter at Graph Expo in October The first production models shipped to customers in Spring of
Since Screen had experience manufacturing external drum imagesetters, one would have expected them
to have been an early leader in the application of this technology to the imaging of plates. Surprisingly,
this is not the case. Screen s original efforts to produce a CTP device, in 1996, were based upon a flatbed
design. It is possible that the patents owned by Creo on external drum technology prevented Screen from
initially pursuing an external drum device. Whatever the reason, it was not until late 1998 that Screen
began shipping the external drum-based PlateRite (PT-R) With the introduction of the PT-R platesetter,
Screen quickly made major inroads in the CTP market. The mechanisms and electronics to achieve the
mounting of film to an external drum, although reliable, were extremely 2

5 complex and undoubtedly more costly to manufacture than the mainstream internal drum imagesetter.
Since Screen had already perfected the manufacture of external drum technology for its imagesetters,
this experience gave the company a competitive advantage when it became clear that this technology
would capture an expanded market that could not accept their initial flatbed design or the internal drum
design of other manufacturers Scitex, who focused on internal drum imagesetters, originally introduced
the internal drum Doplate 800 platesetter along with a flatbed platesetter in However, neither product was
successful, and Scitex quickly abandoned both models in favor of the external drum design, introducing
their first Lotem by the middle of The external drum devices of all three manufacturers quickly became
widely accepted in the marketplace. Creo at first was the dominant player, but Screen s offerings
eventually became the most widely used because of OEM agreements. Heideberg, Agfa, and Fuji were at
a competitive disadvantage with Creo, Scitex, and Screen, as they did not have an external drum thermal
platesetter to offer the market. Realizing that any attempt to reinvent the wheel, at least in the short term,
was senseless, these manufacturers turned to OEM agreements. Until these manufacturers had the
ability to develop their own viable external drum platesetters, they purchased proven Screen platesetters
and re-badged them as their own. Heidelberg at first marketed Creo Trendsetters, but then switched to
offering Screen PT- Rs after their agreement with Creo dissolved. Agfa and Fuji both offered Screen PT-
Rs under their brand names. Heidelberg has since developed their own external drum thermal
platesetters and has discontinued marketing Screen PT-Rs. Agfa developed a thermal external drum
platesetter of their own design - the Xcalibur/Avalon series. However, they continued marketing 4-up PT-
Rs under their Accento brand. On January 29, 2008, Agfa announced the closure of its production facility
for thermal external drum platesetters. At this time, Agfa also announced future plans for extending their
offering of the PT-R line to the 8 up and VLF models, which were not previously part of their product
offerings since they would conflict with their Avalon series of platesetters. Fuji, rather than create its own
thermal platesetter at a very high cost, continues to offer the Screen PT-R platesetters, along with internal
drum violet machines of their own design. Because of widespread market acceptance of the PT-R and
because of these OEM agreements, Screen is now the number one manufacturer of platesetters
worldwide. 3

6 LASER AND PLATE TECHNOLOGY The visionaries of the late 1980s and early 1990s determined that
film-based imagesetting equipment had matured to such a level that the basic design principles could be
adapted to imaging directly to plates. The key ingredient missing in that era was an affordable laser with
the power necessary to image the less sensitive emulsion of the plates available at the time. CTP
technology progressed as advances were made in both laser technology and plate technology, which
generally progress in unison. LASER WAVELENGTHS Lasers are usually described by platesetter
manufacturers according to their position on the color spectrum. The spectrum is measured in
nanometers (nm). Each laser color requires a plate with an emulsion that is sensitive to that particular
laser wavelength. Below is a chronological listing of lasers used in CTP equipment, along with
corresponding technological advances in available plates. CTP Lasers nm Color Ultraviolet Violet 488
Blue 532 Green (YAG) Red 830 Infrared - thermal 1064 Infrared (YAG) - thermal Chronological
Introduction Year nm Technology Applications Green Very early Creo 3244 platesetter, Cymbolic
Sciences Platejet, Agfa Galileo Blue Gas laser tubes used in the Barco Crescents and the ECRM AIR 75.
This technology is completely obsolete because of the unreliable nature of these lasers Infrared The
thermal 1064 nm laser represents a doubling of the 532 nm green laser and was used in internal drum
machines. This technology has been replaced by external drum platesetters with 830 nm lasers. The
1064 nm laser is completely obsolete Ultraviolet Technically not a laser, this is a UV light source that is
used to expose conventional plates. This technology was pioneered by basysprint. Other manufacturers
have attempted to create competitive equipment to expose conventional plates, but until Lüscher s entry
into this market in 2006, only basysprint had widespread acceptance. Lüscher is now offering serious
competition to basysprint in this market Infrared Thermal - Pioneered by Creo, Scitex, and Screen, and
now the standard laser wavelength in all thermal platesetters Visible Red VR diode - Generally found as
an option for ECRM platesetters. The red laser diode never found wide acceptance and is no longer used
in current production platesetters Violet Silver-based - Introduced at Drupa 2000, violet technology was
well received as an alternative to green lasers. Violet sensitive plates can be handled in user-friendly
yellow safelight conditions. Violet lasers also cost less than green and thermal lasers. All early offerings of
this laser were for use with silver-based plates. 4

7 Processless Ablative (thermal) Presstek pioneered specialized plates that can be imaged by thermal
lasers and that do not require chemical processing. Presstek s plates are imaged by an ablative process,
in which the laser erodes the emulsion, creating a dust that must then be removed from the machine s
interior. This requires a device to vacuum the dust out of the system. However, even with this device,
regular cleaning of the machine interior is essential. Recent innovations have created processless plates
that do not require chemical development and do not use an ablative process for imaging Violet
Photopolymer - Photopolymer plate requires a more powerful laser than the original 5 milliwatt (mw) violet
laser that most manufacturers used when violet platesetters were first introduced. Generally, these plates
require at least a 30 mw laser for exposure. Depending upon the architecture of the platesetter and the
sensitivity of the plate being used, a 60 mw laser may be required. There is no silver content in
photopolymer plates, eliminating the need to deal with this pollutant. Photopolymer plates are also cleaner
than silver plates and require less processor maintenance Chemical Free Non-ablative (thermal) - At
Graph Expo 2005, Agfa introduced their Azura plate. This plate is technically classified as chemistry-free,
since it requires processing with a gumming solution prior to printing. The Azura plates have an
advantage over the Kodak and Fuji true processless plates in that there is a clear visible image on the
plate prior to mounting on the press Processless Non-ablative (thermal) - Plates requiring no processing
prior to mounting on the press are currently offered by Kodak and Fuji. The primary difference between
the two offerings is the sensitivity of the emulsion. Kodak s plates require 300 mj per cm 2 of laser power
for exposure, compared to 120 mj per cm 2 for the Fuji plates. The more sensitive the emulsion, the less
laser power is required to expose the plate. Fuji s more sensitive emulsion allows exposure of their plates
on all existing 830 nm thermal platesetters without slowing the speed of the drum. Of course, less laser
power equates to longer laser life. Kodak s and Fuji s processless plates do have the disadvantage of
having minimal visible image for inspection prior to mounting on the press. These plates are also prone to
losing the image if not used within 4 hours after being exposed. In addition, the press operator must turn
on the water to saturate the exposed emulsion, and then turn on the ink to further saturate the exposed
emulsion for printing off this emulsion until a quality printed image is achieved. As the market evolved, the
industry abandoned less reliable and less cost-effective technologies, and as a result, the 830 nm infrared
laser and the 405 nm violet laser are the thermal and visible light lasers that have survived. Generally,
visible light platesetters can image either silver-based plates or the more environment-friendly
photopolymer plates. Furthermore, with the recent introduction of 120 mw violet diodes combined in
multiple diode arrays, violet platesetters are now available that are able to image conventional UV plates.
Thermal platesetters can image plates requiring chemical processing or, depending on the laser power,
non-ablative processless plates. The ablative processless plate continues to be offered by Presstek, but
has been abandoned by other manufacturers. We will address the laser power requirements of these
varying plate technologies in detail in the next section. Both Agfa and Fuji have been developing a
processless violet plate for some time. Although it has been displayed at graphics shows and talked about
as a coming product since 2005, this plate has not been available to the market. Finally, at Drupa 2008, it
appears that they are on the verge of introducing a commercially viable product. These plates are not true
processless, but rather are chemistry-free, as they require preheating and gumming before they can be
used on press. It is reported that initially Agfa will restrict availability of their processless violet plates to
the newspaper market. Whatever initial limitations for availability there may be, at least it appears that a
chemistry free violet plate will be available to the market in the near future. It is anticipated that a 30 mw
laser will be required to image these plates, with the 60 mw laser preferred for optimum performance. 5

8 LASER POWER As changes in imaging technology occur, laser power requirements also change. To
meet industry demands for improved speed and for compatibility with different plate types, manufacturers
have gradually introduced lasers that are capable of generating more power. When addressing the
subject of laser power, it is important to understand the differences in laser power requirements between
the various plate emulsions. To illustrate these differences, we ve compared the power requirements
based on the average sensitivity of each emulsion type. We ve assigned a value of one to the average
sensitivity of the most sensitive emulsion, silver halide. We then established the power requirements for
other plate emulsions compared to silver plate. Average Range of mj cm 2 Laser Power required
Emulsion Plate Sensitivities Sensitivity relative to Silver Halide Violet Silver Halide mj cm Violet
Photopolymer mj cm Violet Chemistry-Free mj cm Agfa.040 Thermal Plates mj cm ,500 Thermal
Processless mj cm ,000 Thermal Chemistry-Free 300 mj cm ,000 Thermal Processless (Fuji) 120 mj cm ,
000 Conventional (Majority of Plates) mj cm ,000 Conventional (Low Energy Plates) mj cm ,000 Clearly,
violet photopolymer and chemistry-free plates require more laser power than silver plates, and thermal
and conventional plates require significantly more power than any of the violet plate types. Thermal
processless and chemistry-free require even more energy for exposure. Given the wide range of power
requirements of plates on the market, it is wise to determine the laser power in any machine you are
considering purchasing, and to confirm it has sufficient power to image the plates you want to use. For a
more detailed spreadsheet of various plates on the market and their sensitivity rating turn to pages 8-9. In
thermal devices, manufacturers have increased laser power by either increasing the number of diodes or
by increasing the wattage of the lasers used in their machines. Machines with higher laser power are
generally faster, and are compatible with a wider variety of plates. Laser power is especially of concern if
you wish to use Agfa s or Kodak s chemistry-free/processless plates. Agfa s Azura and Kodak s Thermal
Direct both require mj per cm 2 of power to expose, compared to the 120 to 150 mj needed to expose
thermal plates that require processing. While the information presented by the manufacturers is
somewhat inconsistent, it can be surmised that a minimum of 24 W of laser power is required to image
these plates. In addition, these plates may further require reduction of the drum speed in order to increase
the dwell time. However, if the laser wattage is not adequate, even a slower drum setting will not provide
the saturation required to expose the emulsion. As a result, not all existing thermal platesetters are
capable of exposing the Agfa and Kodak thermal processless plates. Fuji, on the other hand, represents
that their Pro-T processless thermal plate has an emulsion sensitivity of 120 mj per cm 2, which allows it
to be run on all existing thermal platesetters, since its sensitivity is well within the range required for
conventional thermal plates. One should be cautious when attempting to expose low sensitivity plates
such as the Azura and Thermal Direct when using a platesetter with marginal laser power. In addition to
slowing the drum speed, it may be necessary 6

9 to adjust the power setting of the laser to obtain acceptable quality. Increasing the laser power setting
has the effect of decreasing the diode life. This can be a hidden cost that only comes to light after the
damage is done. Laser power is also an important consideration with violet platesetters. Since most violet
platesetters, except those offered by Fuji, use only one laser, additional laser diodes cannot be added to
increase the laser power. Rather, manufacturers increased laser power by using increasingly higher
wattage lasers in their platesetters. When originally introduced, violet platesetters used 5 mw lasers, as
this laser was the most available and affordable laser at the time. Diode manufacturers were able to
supply a low cost product by culling the most powerful diode from the thousands available for DVD and
CD consumer products. The 5 mw lasers perform well for exposing silver-based plates, but are
insufficient for imaging photopolymer plates, which are becoming increasingly popular. Photopolymer
plates have no silver content, thus eliminating a major pollutant that plagues the printing industry. For
most photopolymer plates, exposure is attainable with a 30 mw laser, but a 60 mw laser might be
required, depending on the sensitivity of the plate and engineering design of the platesetter. Since 2004,
60 mw lasers have become the standard in violet platesetters for most manufacturers. Violet-sensitive
plates and violet laser diodes continue to evolve. Violet chemistry-free plates have been in development
by Fuji and Agfa for several years. At Drupa 2008, both manufacturers finally demonstrated a
commercially viable product. These plates should work with lasers that are 30 mw or higher. The laser
industry is also continually developing stronger diodes, and is on the threshold of producing 150 to 250
mw violet diodes, opening new horizons for both violet and conventional UV plates. In fact, at Ipex 2006,
Luscher introduced a platesetter capable of imaging conventional plates using a 405 nm laser. This
platesetter uses 120 mw laser diodes, and can be outfitted with 32 to 128 of these diodes in order to
create the laser power required to expose less sensitive conventional plates. The following pages show a
representation of various plates from different manufacturers and their sensitivities. For comparison
purposes, they are grouped by types, i.e. thermal, silver, photopolymer, processless or waterless. 7

10 CTP PLATE SENSITIVITIES THERMAL PLATES Manufacturer Plate Name nm Print mj/cm2 Agfa
Energy Elite Agfa Thermostar P Agfa Ampio 830 Pos Ding Kailong (Fujain) Thermax Fuji Brillia LH-PSE
Fuji Brillia LH-N Neg 120 Fuji Brillia LH Huagnang TP Pos Huagnang TP Pos IBF Million Ipagsa Rubi T
Ipagsa Arte IP Kodak Thermal Gold Kodak Electra XD Kodak Electra Excel Kodak Sword Excel Kodak
Thermal News Gold Southern Litho Cobra 830 TN 830 Neg 110 SILVER PLATES Manufacturer Plate
Name nm Print Laser Power Agfa LithoStar Ultra V mw Agfa LithoStar Ultra LAP-V mw Heidelberg
Saphira Violet mw PHOTOPOLYMER PLATES Manufacturer Plate Name nm Print Laser Power Agfa
N91 (Newspapers) Neg 30 mw + Escher Grad ECG-HRV1 n/a n/a Fuji Brillia HD Pro-V LP-NV2 & NV mw
+ Fuji Brillia HD Pro-V mw + Fuji Brillia LH PI 405 Pos 30 mw + Fuji Brillia LH PSE 405 Pos 30 mw +
Kodak Violet Print 405 Neg 30 mw + Kodak Violet News 405 n/a Konica Duros HSV mw + Southern Litho
Tiger Newspaper mw + Southern Litho CPM mw + 30 mw + THERMAL CHEMISTRY FREE or
PROCESSLESS PLATES Manufacturer Plate Name nm mj/cm2 Agfa Azura - chem free (original) 300
Agfa Azura - chem free 225 Agfa Amigo - chem free Heidelberg Saphira Chem Free Fuji Brillia HD Pro-T
Fuji Brillia Pro-T LH-PJ Fuji Brillia Pro-T LH-PSE Fuji Economaxx-T n/a n/a Kodak Thermal Direct Kodak
PF-N (Newspaper) Presstek Anthem Pro Presstek Applause Presstek Freedom 1064 n/a Presstek Aurora
Note: Presstek does not publish the digital sensitivity of their plates but it has been reported to be
600mj/cm2. This value has never been challenged by Presstek. WATERLESS PLATES Manufacturer
Plate Name nm Type mj/cm2 Toray 830 Thermal 150 3/19/2010 8

11 PLATE SENSITIVITIES The following data was supplied by Luscher to customers at Drupa 2008
regarding the use of different conventional plates by various plate manufacturers. We found this
information particularly interesting since it is seldom supplied by manufacturers as part of their broad
marketing efforts. We have listed the plates to correspond with Lushcers productivity ratings for the UV
platesetters. Although all of these plates fall within the nm range for violet platesetters, the laser power
(mw) requirement exceeds violet platesetter currently available. CONVENTIONAL PLATES for UV
Platesetters Manufacturer Plate Name nm Print mj/cm2 100 mj/cm2 productivity class Agfa Zenith N555
Neg 105 Ipagsa Top F1 Pos 100 Kapoor Imaging India Topaz Pos 120 Kodak Capricorn Gold Pos 106
Kodak PP-W Pos 113 Kodak DITP Gold Pos 112 Korea Jell PS Pos 100 Second Film Factory of
ChinHuaguang YN-II Neg 141 Sichuan Juguang Printing JPS-C Pos 103 Technovia Indien Gemini Pos
113 Vela LPN 100 Pos mj/cm2 productivity class Fuji VP Pos 95 IBF Brazil N N 2000D Neg 75 IBF Brazil
P4001 Pos 92 Kodak Capricorn Excel Positive Pos 92 Kodak PP3 Pos 90 Lastra Nirai Indien Winner Pos
98 LongMa Group UV-CTP Pos 90 Man Roland Printcom P101 Pos 76 PNE Print Technology NP-1 Pos
95 Sichuan Juguang Printing JPS-N Pos 97 Technovia Indien Argos / Low coating wt Neg 90 Vela
Universal Pos 93 Vela LPV 100 Pos 76 Vela NS-300 Neg mj/cm2 productivity class Cinkama Grafika
Kremolit P07 Pos 60 Crema / China Crema Pos 60 Fuji VPS-E Pos 70 Fuji VS Pos 53 Fuji FND-E Neg 63
Ipagsa Eco 88 Pos 68 Kodak Winner Gold Neg 53 Konica Minolta Duros KPS Pos 69 Korea EZ-Plate D
Top Pos 68 Man Roland Printcom P103 Pos 68 Second Film Factory of ChinUV-P Pos 53 Second Film
Factory of ChinHuaguang YP-A Pos 60 Second Film Factory of ChinHuaguang YN-S Neg 70 Top High
Image TP 101 Pos 57 Wenzhou Wondertec of CH Konita KPT Pos 70 Wenzhou Wondertec of CH Konita
KPI-SS Pos 60 8/25/

12 LASER DESIGN Laser designs tend to fall into the following classes: Single Beam Laser Technology
Laser Diode Array Creo Laser Diode Bar with Light Valve GLV - Grating Light Valve Technology Basys
DMD - UV Conventional Plate Laser Technology Presstek ProFire Laser Technology Heidelberg
SupraSetter Laser Head Single Beam Laser Technology While there are a few exceptions, platesetters
using internal drum technology generally use a single laser. These platesetters use a transmission
system which directs the laser beam to a mirror (or multiple mirrors) mounted upon a high speed spinner
motor. The mirror(s) reflect the laser beam to the media, producing the image. In their green laser P9600
internal drum platesetter, Fuji also offered the option of splitting the beam, which had the effect of
doubling the throughput speed. The service cost involved to maintain a consistently equal balance
between the two beams led Fuji to abandon this technology with the introduction of their V (violet) 9600
model. In the violet model, rather than splitting the beam created by one diode, Fuji offered the option of
an additional laser diode. To our knowledge, Fuji is the only manufacturer who has successfully offered
dual lasers on their internal drum platesetter. Single laser beam technology is perhaps the most
economical since it involves the cost of just one laser diode. This diode has a life considerably longer than
thermal diodes because of its low power requirements. The maximum life of the violet diode is generally
in the realm of 10,000 hours, although the potential for considerably more hours remains. The cost to
replace this laser varies irrationally between manufacturers, but it is still far more economical than the
cost of replacing multiple high-powered laser diodes required for exposing thermal plates. Furthermore,
because of the use of very high speed spinner motors (or in some designs, lower speed motors with
multiple mirrors), output speeds attainable with this technology exceed anything historically available
among competitively priced thermal platesetters. Laser Diode Array Technology Laser diode arrays are
used in a variety of external drum platesetters, including those offered by Screen, Scitex, and Agfa.
Screen employs 830 nm laser diode arrays as their laser technology for all external drum models prior to
the PT-R In most of these models (all except the PT-R 8600), Screen mounts individual diodes, each
caged in a module, on a metal plate which has a maximum capacity of 32 diodes. The diodes are
segmented into banks of eight, with each bank controlled by a circuit board. The laser beams from these
diodes pass through a series of lenses, apertures, and modulators until finally a focus zoom device
directs the beam to the media. While Screen rates each diode at 1 W of power, the net power at the
media is considerably lower due to transmission loss. Net power is in the range of 270 to 300 mw for the
PT-R 8000 and 240 mw for the PT-R 4000 series. With the introduction of the PT-R 8600, Screen
adopted a slightly different design, a Fiber Coupled Diode Array. This design is actually common in the
industry. In this design, each laser diode is fused to a fiber optics cable to form the Fiber Coupled Laser
Diode. These diodes are then mounted in groups on circuit boards. The number of circuit boards and
lasers per circuit board will vary between manufacturers and models, but the concept remains the same.
For all manufacturers using this technology, the number of diodes determines the maximum speed of the
platesetter. In the PT-R 8600, Screen uses 64 diodes (32 in the later E models), each rated at 500 mw,
mounted upon circuit boards in groups of 8 diodes. Agfa used a very similar arrangement in their original
offering of their Xcalibur VLF. For their standard speed model, Agfa installed 48 diodes mounted on six
circuit boards, and in the high-speed model, 96 diodes mounted on 12 circuit boards. 10

13 Scitex and certain Creo/Kodak successor models of the Lotem also employ this technology, using
arrays of 12 or 24 diodes. In these Lotems, each diode has a dedicated control board. The diodes, with
their control boards, are then mounted in groups of 12 or 24 on a circuit board. The V2 model with 48
diodes contains two 24 diode circuit boards. Only 12 diodes are used in the S (slow) model of the 4 up
Lotem 400. The laser array technology is an attractive choice because the platesetter can still operate
when a diode fails. However, platesetter models vary in the effect laser diode failure has on the
throughput of the machine. When a laser fails in a Screen or Agfa diode array machine, the imaging
speed always drops to one-half of the rated speed until the failed diode is replaced, regardless of the
number of lasers in the array. In the Scitex Lotems, the loss of output speed is contingent upon the
location of the failed diode within the array. This benefit is derived from their design where each diode is
controlled by a dedicated circuit board. Although, upon the surface, the individual circuit board design
may appear wasteful, it mitigates the effect of a failed diode when compared to the Screen and Agfa
design. To illustrate, if you number the diodes 1 to 24 (for the Lotem 800V) or 1 to 48 (for the Lotem
800V2) and you lose the first diode or the last, you lose the speed of just one diode. If you lose the
second diode or the next to last, you lose the speed of just 2 diodes. This continues, until you lose diode
#12 of 24 or #24 of 48, at which point you will lose half of the imaging speed, the maximum reduction in
speed from a single failed diode. Another subtle advantage of the diode array technology, for those who
can accept the reduced throughput, is the ability to disable unneeded diodes. In this scenario, you can
purchase, for example, a Lotem 800V2 with 48 diodes or a 32 diode PT-R model, and disable half the
diodes. When a diode fails in the banks of diodes that are being used for imaging, you can use one of the
disabled diodes to replace it, thereby eliminating the need to purchase a replacement diode at the inflated
price charged by the manufacturers parts departments. This practice is not nearly as feasible in the new
market because of the much higher price charged for faster machines with more diodes, but this aspect of
diode array machines can be beneficial in the pre-owned market, where the price spread between the two
models is much less. In addition, if future business growth requires, it is possible to reinstate the original
throughput capacity by reactivating the previously disabled diode banks, and purchasing diodes to
replace any that had previously been used. Laser Diode Bar with Light Valve Technology (Creo Laser
Head) The Creo laser head uses an integrated laser bar with light valve transmission. This design was
unique among CTP systems until the introduction of GLV technology in In their laser head, Creo utilizes
an array of 19 laser diodes molded together to form an integrated laser diode bar. The beams from these
diodes are concentrated through a series of lenses, mirrors, and prisms into a single beam aimed at a
light valve, which splits the single laser beam into channels. This light valve is the distinctive feature of the
Creo head. It is responsible for the creation of the SQUAREspot, which according to their marketing
department, sets Creo s technology apart from its competitors. This light valve also allows Creo to create
varying speeds by controlling the number of channels emitted. By creating 128, 192 or 224 channels,
simply by setting the light valve to emit the desired quantity, Creo is able to offer S (Standard speed
channel), F (Fast -192 channel), and V/VF (Very Fast channel) models. Refer to the GLV portion of this
Laser Design section for a more detailed description of light valve technology. The Creo laser head
comes in six basic models: the Thermal 1.0, Thermal 1.7, Thermal E, Thermal 2.0, Thermal 2.5, and the
Thermal 3. Each of these basic models has their own niche in the Creo platesetter offerings. The
following will attempt to describe the specifications of each of the laser head models. See pages 13A/B
for a matrix of Creo laser heads and compatible platesetters. Thermal 1.0 Head (TH 1.0) This is the
original head that created the Trendsetter SQUAREspot platesetter. Although SQUAREspot was not
initially promoted from a marketing standpoint, it has been inherent in the engineering of the Creo head
from the outset. This head is a 20 W, 2400 dpi head, and is available in S and F speeds. The very earliest
heads had a high failure rate, which was quickly identified as an overheat problem and remedied with the
introduction of an air-cooled model. The problematic heads have been removed from the market, and all
20 W heads still in use are this improved air-cooled Th 1.0 head. 11

14 A real concern regarding the early versions of the TH 1.0 head is the method of mounting the laser
head in the Trendsetter. Sometime during the early period of manufacturing Trendsetters, Creo changed
the mounting configuration of the laser head. We believe the serial number when this change occurred
was 162. This mounting change has the effect of making the earliest Trendsetter models incompatible
with newer heads. We recommend that buyers be wary of these older machines, because of the
questionable future availability of replacement laser heads. Thermal 1.7 Head (TH 1.7) The TH 1.7 head
was introduced in conjunction with the Spectrum proofing option. Proofing material requires more laser
power for exposure than the 20 W TH 1.0 head offered. The TH 1.7 head is in the same enclosure as the
TH1.0 head, but is equipped with a 40 W laser bar and has improved fluid cooling. The standard
resolution for this head is 2400 dpi, but an optional 3200 dpi head is available. This head is offered in S,
F, and VF speeds. In 2002, Creo badged all their SQUAREspot capable platesetters, including those
using the TH 1.7 head, as Quantum models. This renaming was done for marketing purposes, to
distinguish SQUAREspot machines from those fitted with the newly introduced entry level head,
designated the TH E. Thermal E Head (TH E) This head has the same housing as the TH 1.0 and 1.7
heads. In fact, it appears to be identical to the TH 1.7 head, but with a re-engineered light valve. This new
light valve has the effect of removing many features available in the TH 1.7 head but not required by
many users in the marketplace. It was introduced in 2002 by Creo as, in our opinion, a marketing tool. It
allowed Creo to create a lower-priced, entry-level model of the Trendsetter to cater to smaller enterprises
that couldn t afford, or didn t need, a full-featured Trendsetter. To match the lower price tag, there are a
variety of features that Creo limited in machines with this head. Platesetters with the TH E head are
limited to 200 lpi and Staccato 25 micron screens, and do not include the temperature compensation
feature. In the original Trendsetter 800 models where the TH E head was initially introduced, the V speed,
Spectrum, and Autoloader options available on previous Trendsetters were no longer offered. With the
next generation of the Trendsetter 800, badged as the 800 II, these options again became available, but
the lpi, Staccato dot size, and temperature compensation limitations remain. The TH E head was installed
in most Trendsetters without the Quantum designation sold since early Thermal 2.0 Head (TH 2.0) The
TH 2.0 head was introduced in 2002 and was used to convert the Lotem 800V series of platesetters,
acquired from Scitex, to Creo laser head technology. This head is much smaller than the TH 1.x and E
series heads, and is engineered standard with a 40 W laser and 224 pixels. Lotems with this laser head
have the Quantum designation. This head was installed in the Lotem 800V/V2 models, which were then
renamed the Lotem 800 Quantum, and in the Lotem 400V, which was correspondingly renamed the
Lotem 400 Quantum. After Kodak s acquisition of Creo, this model was further renamed the Magnus 400
Quantum in Although the Thermal 2.0 head is engineered with 224 pixels, implying it only operates at VF
speed, the Lotem Quantums are actually offered in varying speeds with corresponding varying price
levels. This is possible because Scitex engineered the Lotems to allow for factory setting of the maximum
speed of the drum. In early models, the speed settings in the Lotem Quantums were controlled by
passwords, but apparently these passwords became compromised, so in later models the speed settings
are controlled by program chips. Thermal 2.5 Head (TH 2.5) This head was introduced at Graph Expo It is
basically the same head as the TH 2.0, but contains a 50 W laser. It is installed in the X series of
Trendsetter Quantum platesetters, and has more recently been carried forward to the Magnus models.
Thermal 3 Head (TH 3) This head was also introduced at Graph Expo 2005, and is an entirely new
design. At the show, it was installed in an 80 inch Magnus VLF. From the outside this head could be
mistaken for the TH 2.0 head, but inside it is quite different. The TH 3 head has two 50 W laser bars,
which made possible 448 laser channels and 100 W of laser power. This head continues the
SQUAREspot technology. 12

15 Part Number Base Model Watts Creo Laser Heads with Recorder Models Adaptable to Each Pixels/
Channel Speed Code Sq. Dot Origin & Status DPI Cooling System Line Screen A TH S Y 1/ Air No B TH
S & F Y 8/ Air No Recorder Models 3244 TS TS 3/ TS TS4 400Q 400IIQ TS VLF Models (w/ver
Firmware) TH S Y 1/ Air No Recorder Models 3244 TS3 TS VLF Models (w/ver Firmware) A-B TH S & F
Y 3200 Air No Recorder Models TH S & F Y 3200 Air No Recorder Models A-B TH S Y 10/ Air Packaging
Head Rec. Models 3244 TS TS SP TS3 & TS 3/8 TS VLF Models(w/ver Firmware) TH S & F Y 8/97-6/
Liquid A-24 A-B-C B/C-48 Recorder Models See Note (1) 3244 TS SP TS SP TS3/ SP TS SP TS4 TS
VLF Models B TH S, F & V Y 6/ Liquid 450 A-24 A-B-C B/C-48 No Recorder Models See Note (1) TS
800IIQ TS VLF Models (w/ver Firmware) A TH S, F & V Y 2400 Liquid Recorder Models TS VLF Models
(w/ver Firmware) Spectrum Proofer B TH VFX Y 7/ Liquid 48 Recorder Models B TH S, F & V Y 2400
Liquid 48 Yes Recorder Models 3244 SP TS8 Spectrum Proofer A TH /224 S, F & V Y 2400 Liquid 24
Recorder Models TS 800IIQ TS 800Q TS VLF Models (w/ver Firmware) A TH V Y 2400 Liquid Yes
Recorder Models TS VLF Models A TH V N 2/ Liquid Entry Model Rec. Models Lotem 800II Magnus 400
TS 800II TS VLF Models (w/ver.2.0+ Firmware) A TH V Y 2400 Liquid Yes Recorder Models TS VLF
Models (w/ver.2.0+ Firmware) A TH V Y 2400 Liquid Yes Recorder Models 3230 SP 3244 SP TS3/ SP
TS8 Spectrum Proofer A-B-C TH V Y 2400 Liquid Yes Recorder Models 3244 SP TS8 Spectrum Proofer
8/27/2008 Volts Debris Removal Ready 13A

16 Part Number Base Model Watts Creo Laser Heads with Recorder Models Adaptable to Each Pixels/
Channel Speed Code Sq. Dot Origin & Status DPI Cooling System Line Screen A TH S, F & V Y 2/ or
2540 Liquid Yes Recorder Models L 800Q L 800IIQ L 400Q L 400IIQ Magnus 400Q A N 7/06 Entry Model
Rec. Models A TH S, F & V N Liquid Yes Entry Model Rec. Models A TH V Y 2540 Recorder Models L
800Q L 800IIQ L 400Q L 400IIQ Magnus 400Q Magnus VLF Magnus A TH S, F & V N Liquid Yes Entry
Model Rec. Models Models designated as II without Q A TH S, F & V N Liquid Yes Entry Model Rec.
Models Models designated as II without Q Unknown TH S, F & X Y 9/ Liquid Yes Recorder Models TS
800IIQX Magnus VLF Unknown TH F, V & X N Liquid Yes Entry Model Rec. Models Magnus V & X
Models News Unknown TH X Y 10/ Liquid Yes Recorder Models Magnus X Q Magnus VLF XQ Unknown
TH F, V & X N Liquid Yes Entry Model Rec. Models Magnus V & X Models News A TH 3 Dual F, V & X Y
10/ Liquid Yes Recorder Models Magnus News Volts Debris Removal Ready Note (1) VLF models may
require upgraded ALE and MPE boards to accept this head. BWI is not privileged to access internal
manufacturer's information, therefor the information contained in this chart was gathered internally at BWI
or obtained from third party sources. It is for this reason, that this chart may not be complete, but the
information listed is believed to be reliable 13B 8/27/2008

17 GLV Laser Technology Grating Light Valve (GLV) is a technology developed by Silicon Light
Machines. It was originally introduced to the market at Ipex 2000, but the first platesetters based on GLV
were not available until the Spring of 2003, when both Agfa and Screen began shipping machines using
this technology. Agfa converted the production of its original fiber coupled diode array Xcalibur VLF
platesetters to GLV. At the same time, Screen announced their VLF Ultima and 8- up PT-R 8800
platesetters, which both featured this innovative new technology. There are two central elements to a
GLV imaging system: a unique laser module, and a modulator utilizing a GLV ribbon array. The heart of
the laser module is a new type of semiconductor laser manufactured by Coherent Technologies. This
laser is in the form of a bar just 7 mm long and estimated 1 mm high. The laser has 39 emitters, and is
hermetically sealed in a water-cooled metal housing. We have no specific knowledge of the wattage, but
based on information contained in Screen s patent application, we believe it to be between 40 and 60 W.
Screen uses two lasers in their GLV machines, the beams of which are combined and then directed to the
GLV chip. The use of dual lasers doubles the beam intensity. Agfa appears to use just one laser in their
implementation of GLV technology. The GLV array itself defies comprehension. It consists of an array of
thousands of microscopic ribbons mounted on a chip. These ribbons are controlled to either reflect or
diffract the laser beam, splitting the beam into a very high number of sub-beams, which act as optical
channels. The high number of channels imaging the plate at once (512 channels, for example, in the
Screen PT-R 8800, vs 64 in a PT-R 8600), results in very high imaging speeds, with one third or less the
drum speed, with no loss of quality. The astonishing fact about the GLV chip is that these thousands of
individual ribbons are mounted on a chip only a little over one inch wide. Each ribbon, which can be
controlled with extreme precision, is only 4.25 microns wide and 220 microns long, and are spaced in
parallel.65 microns apart (keep in mind that there are 25,400 microns to an inch!). In Screen s
implementation of GLV technology there are 6,528 ribbons on the GLV chip. Six ribbons (3 activeinactive
ribbon pairs) are used to create 1,088 addressable pixels. Two pixels are combined to create 544
individual writing channels, each 51 microns wide. A 5:1 reduction lens then further reduces the size of
the pixels to 10 micron dots on the plate. This reduction has the added benefit of concentrating the beam
s power, allowing for significantly lower laser intensity on the GLV, thus prolonging its life. One point of
confusion is the final number of writing channels. In their white paper explaining GLV technology, Silicon
Light Machines and Screen state that the end result of the above process is up to 544 discrete 10 micron
spots on the plate. However, later in the white paper and in Screen s brochures, they say that their GLV-
based platesetters use 512 writing beams. Apparently engineers determined that 512 beams better
addressed their needs than the maximum available. Agfa GLV platesetters are based upon the same
ribbon array technology described above, but their implementation of this technology appears to vary from
Screen s in some respects. In particular, Agfa seems to have had some problems with their first foray into
GLV technology, which was with the Xcalibur VLF platesetter One issue with the original Xcalibur was its
output speed. The original Xcalibur was plagued by consistently slower throughput than its competition.
One reason for this could be the number of writing channels found in the Xcalibur. The original Agfa GLV
laser head was engineered with 240 channels. Later, a second model with 360 channels was added.
Although the Agfa GLV chip has the full array of 6528 ribbons capable of producing 1088 addressable
channels, it appears that Agfa has chosen to use only the center portion of the complete array to produce
240 (and later 360) channels. Why the machine only has 240 channels compared to 512 on the Screen is
unknown, but we suspect that the dual laser approach engineered by Screen was the probable difference.
In 2005, to address the speed issue, Agfa re-engineered the Xcalibur (now known as the Avalon) with a
512 channel GLV and renamed it the GLV II. This 512 channel GLV II head allowed Agfa to increase the
throughput speed of all VLF models of the Avalon, and also of the XT and XXT models of the Avalon LF.
14

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