Optimizing Your Plate Room: 5 Steps to Maintain a Competitive Edge
Gaining and keeping a competitive edge – achieved by producing high-quality work consistently and cost-effectively – is as vital as ever. Running an optimized plate room can give you that edge: optimization improves plate quality and longevity; it also prevents frequent reworks, unscheduled press stops and slower than necessary press speeds – helping you keep that edge sharp.
Process optimization is often discussed but not always actioned – in many cases, simply because the plate maker or printer is unclear exactly what’s needed. In the first of two articles for The Flexcel, Kevin Schilling, Global Senior Product Application Specialist, explains what goes into optimizing the plate room for maximum results. (In the next issue, Kevin will look at pressroom optimization…)
Optimized plate production begins with a plate room audit: evaluating the variables within the process, so you can benchmark where you are – what’s within specification, what isn’t – and where to improve. With flexo, that depends on achieving a balance between numerous variables – plates, inks, aniloxes, mounting tapes, presses – creating a structure based on specifications and best practices. That structure makes it easier to resolve issues that do arise. Your local Miraclon representative is on hand to help organize an onsite or remote audit.
1. Start with imaging
We begin the audit with the imager. Whatever the make and model, imagers need regular maintenance. Changing filters, calibrating lasers and drives, keeping lenses clean, and so on – all are critical to imaging performance. If an imager is out of calibration, the rest of the platemaking process will be poor.
At the very least, an imager service should take place annually, preventing degradation and poor imaging quality. If you have a Miraclon service contract, that’s covered: you’ll receive at least one preventative maintenance (PM) visit annually. A service contract doesn’t just take care of essential maintenance, it’s a foundation of process control, an essential component to control variables in the very first stages of production.
2. Expert exposure
Exposure is a rapidly changing space in our industry. In many cases, this involves a UV exposure unit that uses fluorescent or LED tubes as a light source. It’s important to know the output of your bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs provide around 800 hours of effective output, while their LED counterparts offer 5000 hours of consistent output. While it’s tempting to run bulbs for longer, the risk is not worth the reward. Taking the main exposure from the 15-minute range to upwards of 30 minutes risks overheating the plate which can cause curling. Record how long your bulbs have been in use and keep to a replacement schedule. The same applies to finishing, see below. (Ask your Miraclon contact about how LED technology could improve this step in your platemaking, or register to learn more: www2.miraclon.com/shine-led-lamps.)
3. Processor care
Poor processor maintenance is a key obstacle to optimization. Like in the kitchen, washing-up can be a chore, but keeping a processor clean has a big impact. Regular cleaning of the solvent trays and brush cleaning blades can go a long way. And this isn’t difficult; operating manuals include easy-to-follow instructions for plate room personnel. And remember that viscometer calibration is critical to maintaining the optimum solvent strength but differs depending on the type of solvent you’re running. See: Best Tips for Keeping Your Solvent Happy – Miraclon.
Solvent recycling is another important aspect. Maintaining the correct balance between fresh and recycled solvent is critical because of differing evaporation rates. Remember to use the Invert Trim Waste feature of the FLEXCEL NX System to reduce the amount of polymer dissolved, cutting solvent costs. See: How Invert Trim Waste boosts sustainability while cutting solvent costs. With solvent, always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to keep your solvent-based processing optimized.
4. Critical drying
The critical factors in plate drying are airflow and temperature. The focus of optimized airflow is the efficient exhausting of solvent fumes through elevation – for example, configurations in which the exhaust system runs to a considerable height before venting. In such cases, because solvent fumes are heavier than air, additional blower capacity will be necessary to create the correct airflow at the exhaust point – otherwise fumes will fail to rise, creating back pressure on the unit.
As your operation grows you may add new equipment. If this equipment is tied into the same exhaust and venting set-up, it can have unintended consequences. Plates may not dry in the optimized time frame due to backflow or overdraw. To aid optimization, refer to the airflow specifications in the manufacturer’s manual.
Airflow also impacts temperature. There are typically three blower units per six dryer drawers. Because hot air rises, there are specific calibration requirements for each unit to ensure all operate at the same temperatures. A plate specialist will calibrate the drawers in this way when a dryer is set up, but this will need adjusting over time as a result of degradation.
5. Finish on a high
If finishing isn’t optimized correctly, it can undo all your other optimization efforts. We have already looked at the importance of a correct bulb replacement schedule for exposure, and the same applies to the UVC bulbs critical to controlling the surface tension of the plate. More than 1,000 hours of usage risks wattage degradation, causing poor surface tension and plates that are not properly polymerized. Ultimately, this means a plate that won’t print to the high standard you need. Apply the same best practice to the UVA bulbs that control plate hardness to ensure good resistance to solvents and improve plate durability. For a more in-depth look at optimized finishing, reach out to your local Miraclon representative.
Staying optimized – keeping that competitive edge
Each of these process stages need constant monitoring to stay optimized and keep the competitive edge you’ve gained. But this monitoring doesn’t have to consume valuable production time. Using supporting documentation and training is paramount. Making sure operators are well versed with this information yields long-term returns in the plate room.
We also know that the prospect of putting these procedures in place can be daunting, so our Technical Support team offers services dedicated to optimizing technology in your prepress and printing operations for maximum print performance. All Miraclon Technical Support plans include at least one plate room audit and one preventative maintenance visit per year; contact your local Miraclon representative for more details.
Kevin says:
“Optimizing your plate room is essential for maintaining a competitive edge by improving plate quality, reducing reworks, and ensuring smoother press operations, with regular audits and consistent maintenance across all stages of production being key to long-term success.”