Basysprint Series 7

[ExactRepeat]

Basysprint Series 7 CTcP being heavily pushed by a former supplier as an "Upgrade" to our Barco Crescent 42HS. We are a commercial printer requiring the usual; quality plates with lower operating cost, minimal or no waste byproducts. We use approximately 1000 40" plates a month. I have looked at the literature for this device and it has it's merits, but I'm concerned with the fact that the initial purchase price is 50% higher than a Thermal platesetter as quoted by Fuji (read SCREEN). $CAN. $250,000 versus $160,000. Seems exessive to me. I have been hearing that they have quite a sizeable install base in the newspaper industry. I'd like to hear from anyone in commercial print who may be using this system to image anything from 40" plate down to a Heidleberg Quickmaster. Have you seen any changes in plate pricing on Conventional plates with the rise in usage of Thermal and Violet.?

[steveagfa]

Well Exact...

To date - 39 views - and no responses.
Perhaps that in itself answers your question.

You mention that you were looking for a system
that had little or no waste by-products, but then
the basys (a division of our partner Punch) uses
conventional plates - with conventional chemistry.

The cost/benefits of CTcP have less of the ROI
than in the early daze of CTP - as digital plates
are much more accessible - (supply and price).

Frankly - with the advent of chemistry-free plates,
I find much less interest in the commercial market
for a CTcP system. Yes, there remains interest in
newspapers - where quality is less demanding, and
plate price is more important. We ourselves serve
that market with different devices (made by Punch).

If little or no waste by-products is central to your
search - than I'd suggest a look at chemistry-free.
Agfa, Fuji & Kodak have joined PRST in this area.

Did you get a chance to visit Graphics Canada last week?
Our :Azura chemistry-free system attracted much interest.

FYI - our :Acento is also a Screen device.

Regards,

[ExactRepeat]

I have to agree with you on the point about the lack of response. I expected pretty much what I got. I've been trying to drive home the message to my boss that he shouldn't be blinded by the lower plate prices as proposed by this supplier. I've been hearing that these prices may in fact start to increase gradually as the demand for conventional plates decreases.

We've also received a proposal from Agfa for an Avalon VE Thermal Platesetter and the :Azura plates. I'm quite satisfied with this as we recently tested a set of these plates. We infact received the plates during the summer and didn't get to run them until just last week. Our Agfa rep (we currently use a Lapo Ultra Processor and Lapo plates) stated that we may need to get a new set of test plates made but I told him that we would give them a try anyways. They were put on press and rolled up just fine. Three months sitting idle before being used was quite suprising.

In response to your question about Graphics Canada, I did go to the show albiet only on Thursday. I spoke to ??? (I can P.M. you his name if desired) he is also our contact at Agfa.

I'd like to see the Agfa Avalon installed but trying to convince my boss may be a task.

[steveagfa]

Exact:

Interesting.

I asked a shop in Vancouver how long he's allowed an Azura
plate to hang around the pressroom - and he sheepishly said
3 - 4 months (pssst - don't tell the client!).

Regarding the pricing of conventional plates, vs. digital plates,
vs. chemistry-free plates... plates and related chemistry costs
comprise about 1% of the cost of a job. Whereas about 10% of
the cost of a job is waste. While at the end of the day, there is
little difference between digital and chemistry-free plate costs,
the big difference is driving out variables, and establishing
consistent control. That alone will drive down the waste factor,
and the fractional difference in plate/chemistry pricing between
CTcP and Chemistry-free systems is focusing on the wrong
part of the spreadsheet.

And oh, chemistry-free saves thousands of gallons of water,
and as Santa says, has driven out 80% of the chemistry-usage
in his plant.

Basys has its place - but those places tend to be found in emerging
CTP regions such as China, India and South America. (Note PR clip...)

<snip>
mainly targeted at emerging markets such as China, Brazil and India
<snip>

Good luck in your quest.

Steve.

[beermonster]

not really on the basys theme, but proceless has made ctp within our reach here. we are a carton and packaging firm with longs runs and what looks like a low plate usage - about 200 - 300 per month only.

justifying any form of ctp has proved impossible, but the chemistry free system, and the lack of waste from pre-press makes it a viable option. no more film, water, chemistry, sundries, print down frame, tapes- it all adds up.

Ipex next year will be very interesting - my guess is vendors will be bending over backwards for us and I rekon the few proceless plate manufacturers will become not so few....

[steveagfa]

Oops...

Exact -
I mis-spoke...
That shop in Vancouver had the plate
in the pressroom for about 3-4 weeks.

I believe your 3 months is a record!

Steve.

[santa]

Hi Exact:

We have had the Agfa AsentoS platesetter running the Azura Chemistry free plates and the system as a whole has been truly amazing.

The lack of chemistry, and more importantly recovery costs have vanished along with close to 80 % of all the chemistry used in our shop and the plate itself runs great. We were a long time Fuji house and the Azura plates perform on press just as well as our conventional Fuji plates did, just without the cost, time, and space of our film, film processor, fixer, developer, fixer and developer tanks, camera, camera processor, light frame, and my personal favorite silver recovery bucket and environmental reclamation contract.

And that leads to a much lower plate cost.