A premium digital photopolymer flexo plate technology with a special pinning top dot said to enable a wide colour space, vibrant colour reproductions, soft tonal shades and improved productivity has been launched by Asahi Photoproducts.
A feature of both Asahi's solvent washable TOP and water washable AWP plates, the Pinning Top Dot technology (PDT) is said enable a clean ink transfer and prevent ink accumulating on the plate surfaces and shoulders in screen areas. This leads to fewer cleaning intervals and reduced downtime as well as significant quality improvements, the company states.
The new technology allows a kiss-touch printing pressure setting. It makes use of low plate surface tension, made possible by a specially engineered Asahi polymer chemistry, to inhibit liquid flow. The ink forms a globule, with a large contact angle and high pinning point. This is claimed to result in a cleaner and homogeneous ink transfer from plate to substrate.
The higher pinning point is also said to allow reduced printing pressure throughout the printing run, regardless of ink set used. This leads to lower dot gain, especially in the highlight areas, as well as smooth and soft vignettes fading out to zero with a wider total colour gamut. The lower pressure also allows longer plate life.
Suitable for solvent, water and UV based inks as well as high quality film and coated paper substrates, the PTD plates offer a resolution of 80 l/cm (200 lpi), a minimum isolated dot of 150 micron, and are available in thicknesses of 1.14mm (shore A hardness 77) and 1.70mm (shore A hardness 69). They are said to be compatible with all commonly available laser types, as well as the latest high definition microcell screening technology.
www.asahi-photoproducts.com
