Agfa Azura

[dgraves]

Can anyone give me their opinion on the Agfa Azura plate. We are currently using the Fuji LHPI and are thinking of switching.

[Lukas Engqvist]

We are very happy with Azura, hoping to move to Azura 2 for added speed of CTP.

[SteveAgfa]

dgraves

Thanks Lucas.
There are plenty of comments from additional users such as "Santa" and "Beermonster".

Here's a recent post of mine where I write about the new Azura TS:

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I received an interesting observation yesterday from one of
our resellers about a recent Azura TS install...

<snip>
"I had the opportunity to install the Azura TS at one of my customers here in [US site].
The customer installed one of the newer generation Agfa Clean-out units as well.

I will have to say it is a very nice plate. Probably the best plate on the market by far.
I am very impressed. It is almost as fast as [popular no-bake thermal plate] on their
type of platesetter.

Here are some of my notes:
Plate is blue instead of green
Plate is very easy to read...
Looks just like and old conventional plate.
Plate uses a new wash gum -Azura TS Wash Gum
The gum looks like gum - an amber color
Drum Speed only about 11% slower than their existing [traditional no-bake thermal] plate.
We measured a 1% and a 99% dot at 200 LPI at 2400, reading through the gum!

<snip>

For more information about Agfa's Azura TS -

AGFA.com - :Azura TS

Regards,

[RGPW17100]

The azura plate will require a clean out unit. Cost is around 2K dollars unless you do a plate contract and the vendor just throws the clean up unit in. You may also need a bridge to get the plates to the clean up unit. Not familiar with the plates you are using but we were not too thrilled about the Pro T thermals from Fuji. The Azura give a strong image and you can do daily plate calibrations with it using almost any plate readeer. We have gotten up to 200K impressions on our speed master using Azura. We are happy with it.

[dgraves]

Does the Agfa plate move much as far as calibrations? The Fuji pate hardly moves at all, and I have been using it for years.

[Santa]

Does the Agfa plate move much as far as calibrations? The Fuji pate hardly moves at all, and I have been using it for years.

I ran the original Azura for 4 years and have been on the faster TS for about 8 months now. Have never changed my calibrations once. We do a lot of critical color work, i,e Pharma, and Cosmetics, no issue. The plate is a rock!!!

[p_hd]

I started using azura since I changed from CTF to CTP and ran the original Azura for 2/5 years now. I will switch to Azura TS now. I never changed calibrations once. We do critical color work (Cosmetics) with no issue. I must say this is a great plate.

[gordo]

To Santa & p_hd

I never changed calibrations once.

Could either of you explain what you mean by never changing calibrations?
Do you check/monitor each plate? One plate a day? A week? Or never check your plates?
What screening and lpi are you using?

thx, gordo

[Santa]

To Santa & p_hd

Could either of you explain what you mean by never changing calibrations?
Do you check/monitor each plate? One plate a day? A week? Or never check your plates?
What screening and lpi are you using?

thx, gordo

Hi Gordo,

We run Artworks Paragon Screening @ 175.

We have not found any need to check our plates on a regular basis.

Sorry missed a part of the question, as far as calibration, what I mean, is that I have not changed any settings on the platesetter since install 4+ years except for when they upgraded me to the TS plate. There the only thing they did was increase drum speed. I have altered my plate curve once, 4 years ago, but that was due to the fact that I was switching plates from Presstek to the Azura.

Best,
Santa

[Alois Senefelder]

Hi

So we have another " Fool" in the Pre Press, not checking the Plates, no wonder the Printers have problems on Press !!

My I recommend you read the latest --- FOGRA News # 11 also # 9

available at -- Fogra.org/downloads


Regards, Alois