Thermal Technology of CTP Mainstream Technology

What is thermal technology?

The thermal CTP technology uses a red laser generator with a wavelength of 830nm or 1064nm to expose the surface of the printing plate. The printing plate coating undergoes a thermochemical reaction, or through thermal ablation or thermal phase transformation, to make the graphic and non-graphics. Some produce different chemical properties that enable the reproduction of image information on the plate. More than 60% of CTP devices worldwide use thermal technology.

At present, the major thermal CTP equipment suppliers include Kodak, Agfa, screen, etc. Domestic brands such as Kore, Leopard, Paulet, China and India Zhou Jin, etc., also provide thermal CTP plate-making equipment, and technology Become mature, quality tends to be stable.

Thermal plate

At present, the plates of the thermal CTP equipment in the market are mostly thermosensitive chemical reaction plates. That is, under the irradiation of a red laser, the coating of the plate material undergoes a thermal reaction (thermal crosslinking reaction or thermal decomposition). The dissolving performance of the exposed and unexposed parts in a particular solution is different. Afterwards, the undesired parts are dissolved and removed by the developer, and the required graphic and textual information is retained on the plate to realize the plate making of the printing plate.

The heat-resistant CTP plate has a very high print rate, and the heat-resistant CTP plate can easily reach 100,000 prints or more. If it is baked, it can get a high print rate of over 1 million.

In terms of media, Kodak, Agfa and Fujifilm, the world's top three suppliers of plate materials, have a series of thermal plates, and the major suppliers in China, including Lucky II, Chengdu Xintu, etc. There is also a mature product supply market. A large number of small and medium-sized printing plate manufacturers in China are involved in the CTP market, and the breakthroughs of choice are also thermal CTP plates.

At present, the price of domestic thermal CTP plates has come closer to the price of traditional PS plates. It is often the price of equipment and plates that have been criticized by the industry. At least in the field of thermal insulation, it is no longer a bottleneck that restricts the application of technology. . Thermal CTP has also become the most common CTP plate making technology in China.

The advantages of thermal technology

1. High quality: The digital plate imaging technology can obtain sharper and sharper dots than the analog plate imaging technology (CTF). The dot shape and size are more compact and fine, and can produce 1% to 99% dots at a 300lpi screen number. The dot diameter can be as small as a few microns, the edges are very straight and the surface is very flat, which optimizes the ink transfer.

2. High resistance to printing force: Thermal plates are not easy to wear and can last for a long time. After baking, it can withstand 1 million to 2 million impressions.

3. Bright room operation.

The disadvantage of thermal technology

1. Thermal equipment and plate prices are relatively high, higher than visible light imaging plates, more expensive than traditional offset printing PS plates;

2. Exposing a thermal plate requires more energy than is required to expose a visible light plate.