Sustainability of Liquids with Inkjet Technology Daniel J. Fry February 25, 2008
Definition of Sustainability According to Webster –of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged According to Wikipedia –is a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely.
Concerns of the Trade Shop Film image setters are becoming harder to find and more difficult to maintain and repair Silver film is getting expensive, the longer term viability is unknown Lost margins from converting liquid plate production to digital sheet production
Options Available to the Trade Shop Remain on Silver Films –Acquire backup processor or processor parts –Secure long term supply agreements with the film suppliers Go Digital –High cost of entry –Higher raw material costs Identify alternative options for film supply
Silver Film Alternatives Thermal films Slow, low quality, film does not store well Ablative film A digital image setter is required Ink jet film systems Proven technology in the Screen Printing market since 1996 Cost neutral position to silver film No processor effluent or silver recovery issues
Aspect Quadra Systems Introduced in 1996 to the Screen- print market and currently there are over 600 systems installed Aspect Quadra is a Proven reliable and inexpensive all-format turnkey system Printer, film, hardware, and ink are designed for best results of a commercial user Established regional technical support system already in place Aspect Thermal System 1996
Aspect Quadra Advantages - Flexo Customers Proven high quality commercial grade printer Film & ink cost are comparible to silver film In house control of production schedules Interactive layouts for job nesting Scalable system, ability up to 4 printers to the RIP for increased productivity Waterproof, durable instant dry film Color Halftone Simulation Proofs option
Aspect Quadra System Details Roland Pro-II commercial printers Film widths 16 to on 100 ft. rolls High density Quadra-K water- based dye ink Wasatch RIP Software for quality process color screening Custom-built Windows XP workstation and 17 LCD monitor
Roland Pro-II Printers Roland Pro-II FJ width, Piezo printheads Film take-up reel (optional) Roland Pro-II SJ width, Piezo print heads Film take-up reel (optional)
Wasatch RIP Software Wasatch SoftRIP is used for all Quadra systems - partner since 1995 Wasatch version provides vital features –Monochrome drivers for film output –Ink volume/droplet control –Special precision rosette screening –Layout features for film savings Auto-nesting Manual nesting Cropping/rotation Distortion scaling –Pre Linearized configurations to 85 line –Color Halftone Proofing profiles to 85 line Ability to print on boards up to 4mm thick (e-flute)
Quadra-K Ink Dye black, water-based ink provides –Maximum film penetration –Excellent halftone dot formation –Bulk ink options, available in cartridges, liters, gallons Color ink available –Cyan –Yellow –Magenta –Light Cyan –Light Magenta
Quadra Inkjet Film Anti-static back coating and traction enhancer 2 - Primer coat 3 - Polyester base material 4 - Primer coat 5 - Blocking layer and seal to prevent spreading 6 - Absorption layer and micro- encapsulation 7 - Topcoat-receiving layer with matte particles Quadra micro encapsulation film - cross section
Quadra film attributes Quadra film is designed for quality line and dot images High density = 3.5 to U.V. Instant dry via total encapsulation (dye ink) Totally waterproof (submersible) Anti static traction back coat, eliminates droplet deflection 100 foot rolls maintain register accuracy Dimensionally stabilized for excellent registration properties
Finished Film 75 lpi, round dot –Output on a Roland FJ540 using 1440dpi output Compatible with typical film cleaners 10% dot 70% dot
System Productivity Quadra Output Speeds As with all output devices slower = higher quality/resolution faster = more throughput for less critical jobs Quadra speed is adjustable to meet requirements
Customer Output Times Times listed below are to produce a 40 x 40 film Output Setting (dpi) Time (minutes) 7207 min 20 sec
Aspect Quadra Specifications Registration – start to finish accuracy and fit between films –0.014 over 8 feet Factors that affect registration Film loading - tensioning Weight of roll (100 foot rolls) Cleanliness of printer media deck and pinch rollers Skew - the ability to produce geometrically square output –0.039 or less over 4 feet - grid test Factors that affect skew Film loading and initial calibration Mechanical accuracy of printer Tension in media color job
Summary Aspect Quadra System offers the Trade Shop the following benefits: Proven commercial technology Durable, archivable film in widths up to Cost effective replacement to silver films A means to keep Liquid plate manufacturing sustainable