Cymbolic Sciences PlateJet 4

Cymbolic Sciences has the largest
installed base of visible light CTP
systems. We offer flexible and
reliable products that deliver
optimum performance at a very
affordable price. Our imaging
systems are more productive and
less expensive than comparable
thermal products currently on
the market.With the ability to
image on different brands of film,
paper, polyester and metal plates
from a variety of suppliers, you
have the flexibility to choose
the most suitable media for
your production environment.
And since all our systems are
designed with an open interface,
you have the freedom to choose
the workflow solution that best
fits your needs. For CTP solutions
that simply work, come ’round to
our way of thinking.
Cymbolic
CTP
vi
Why CTP Today?
There’s no question that CTP increases productivity and improves print quality. By eliminating
film, you get a final reproduction that is crisper, with superior highlight and shadow detail.
Plates imaged using CTP technology are cleaner since there’s no dust or vacuum frame contact
to worry about. By eliminating stripping, you save on the cost of film and chemistry and
increase production capacity in your prepress and platemaking departments. With CTP, you’ll
also see big savings on press. Plates imaged using Cymbolic Sciences technology register
perfectly from plate to plate and within each form. As a result, you’ll reduce makeready time
and waste. All of which adds up to more jobs per shift.
Correction Loop
CTP WORKFLOW
Digital
File
Preflight
Check
Trapping
Composite Laser Proofs
Separated Laser Proofs
Press
Sheet
Inposition
Corrections Image
to
Plates
Color Proof
Customer Approval
Printing
Correction Loop
CONVENTIONAL WORKFLOW
Digital
File
Preflight
Check
Trapping
Composite Laser Proofs
Separated Laser Proofs
Film
Stripping
Output
to Film
Color Press Sheet
Proofs Imposition
Stripping
Corrections Contact
Film to
Plates
Composite Proof / Blueline
Customer Approval
Printing
sibly simple
Why Visible CTP?
Visible plates are the most widely used and proven CTP plates available. In the past year alone,
media manufacturers have released three new versions of visible CTP plates, with plans to
release further revisions in 1999. While thermal technology is being promoted as a new and
advanced development, it is actually an alternative technology. In fact, thermal film has been
available as an alternative to visible film for many years. However, visible media continue to be
popular choices due to consistency in exposure and excellent press performance.
Visible plates require minimal processing, without the need for complex pre- or post-baking of
the plate for average run lengths. Most unbaked visible plates run longer than unbaked thermal
plates.Thanks to new developments in plate technology, many visible plates can also be baked
for extremely long run lengths, just like their thermal counterparts.
Visible CTP systems are also less costly than thermal systems and have a lower continuing
cost of ownership.While the ability to handle thermal plates in white-light environments (versus
safe-light conditions for visible plates) is considered an advantage, the added facility space required
for a thermal CTP workflow makes it a costly advantage. For quality-conscious printers with an
eye on the bottom line, a visible CTP system is simply the best choice.
Why Cymbolic CTP?
Choose a successful product. Cymbolic Sciences may not be the most well-known CTP
manufacturer, but it is one of the most successful. We’ve built simple and reliable products
that are affordable and easy to use. By partnering with major suppliers, including Agfa and Fuji,
Cymbolic Sciences has installed hundreds of semi-automatic, visible light CTP systems — most
of them at medium size printers in Europe and North America.
Depend on our proven pedigree. Although Cymbolic CTP systems were first introduced
at Drupa ’95, their core technology has a longer-standing pedigree. The systems are built
using precision technology from our Fire 9000 laser photoplotter introduced to the Printed
Circuit Board industry in 1986. These photoplotters are capable of imaging up to 16,000 dpi
and maintaining registration through dozens of film layers. More than 600 photoplotters have
been installed at electronic manufacturing plants around the world — 97% of them are still
in production today. Cymbolic Sciences has continued to develop and enhance the core
internal drum imaging technology over the past decade. As a result, Cymbolic CTP technology
has the longest proven track record of any CTP system available today.
Expect worry-free performance and imaging accuracy.
With only three moving parts, it’s no wonder Cymbolic CTP
systems have an excellent reputation for reliability. And since
film or plates are held stationary within an internal drum, imaging
accuracy is inherent. To image, a vacuum holds media stationary
against the inner wall of the drum, while a laser beam is projected
down the center of the drum and then reflected on to the media
by a rapidly rotating mirror. The mirror is the only moving part
in the optical system, therefore accuracy is high. And since it
uses non-contact air bearings on all surfaces, there is no
mechanical wear. On external drum systems, mechanical wear
introduces low and high-frequency vibrations that are shown as
artifacts in the images. The variable speeds and resolutions of
internal drum units also allow users to expose a wide variety of
materials, including graphic arts film and paper, visible
photopolymer, polyester, and silver-halide plates.
Internal Drum
Laser light
focused onto
media plane
Media
Optic
s Plat
Cross scan
direction
e
Single facet
mirror on
Air Bearing
Laser light
column
Pick technology that offers choices. Standard in all Cymbolic platesetters is a frequencydoubled (FD) YAG 532nm laser that exposes a wide range of CTP plates from a number of
plate manufacturers. With visible plates, users have a broad choice of plates, performance,
price and suppliers. FD-YAG lasers have a longer useful life than thermal lasers, which results
in significantly lower maintenance costs. Modulated to expose either the image or non-image
areas of the plate, the FD-YAG laser exposes a wide range of media, such as positive and
negative-working CTP plates and graphic arts film or paper. The laser is focused to a fine
spot on the media to expose the media in a range of resolutions optimized for quality and
productivity. The single laser beam, internal drum configuration of Cymbolic platesetters
provides a wide range of exposure resolutions that you can select to suit your production
environment. This configuration avoids the imaging artifacts associated with stitching multiple
head systems, typical of external drum CTP systems.
Rely on simplicity. The optics of Cymbolic systems are simple and efficient,providing a tightly
focused beam at the surface of the plate. Since the optical system of an internal drum unit has
a long focal length,it provides consistent high quality without the need to calibrate or compensate
for different media types or gauges.
Enjoy the flexibility of film and plates. Cymbolic Sciences platesetters image plates, film
and paper. Having one device means printers can transition easily into a full CTP workflow. As
more clients provide digital files, plates can be imaged without having to upgrade or add more
equipment. Since all of Cymbolic’s platesetters accommodate a wide range of media sizes,
operators can easily switch sizes and type of material from one job to the next, without losing
valuable time. Each unit automatically resets its exposure setting for the media from the file data.
Along scan
direction
Focusing
lens
A vacuum holds film or plates
stationary within the internal
drum, resulting in exceptional
accuracy. With only three
moving parts, there is little
mechanical wear.
Kevin Nicholds
Vice President, Operations
Dollco Printing
Ottawa, Canada
“The open architecture of Cymbolic Sciences
platesetters allows us to use RIP solutions
that minimize workflow problems and keep
our presses working like clockwork.”
Enhance throughput within hours of installation.
Cymbolic systems are so simple to use, they are typically up and
running within hours of installation. A semi-automatic plate
handling system means that you can load or unload a plate in as
little as ten seconds. Operator controls are positioned at the
front of the unit. Since most operations are automatic, there are
only three switches and three status indicators, each of which is
labeled and illuminated to indicate the status of operation.
The film or plate is positioned on the tray and registered against
the pins of the gripper bar. A series of electrical sensors in the
gripper provides consistent and accurate registration between
plates, even if the plates are not dimensionally accurate. Once a
plate contacts the pins, the gripper automatically engages and
clamps the plate firmly in position. For film, the operator pushes
a button to engage the gripper.
Plate Handling
Media
Media
Clamp
Once the plate or film is clamped, the operator pushes the gripper bar to load it into the
unit. A squeegee roller or guides ensure that the plate or film is positioned securely against
the surface of the drum. The vacuum automatically turns on to hold the plate or film in
position and the laser begins exposing the media.
When laser exposure is complete, the vacuum automatically turns off to release the plate or
film. The operator pulls the gripper bar back to the load position and the plate or film is
automatically released for removal and processing. Since the gripper clamps and fixes the
plate from load to unload and throughout the exposure cycle, full registration is maintained
between plates, significantly reducing press make-ready times. This method of loading and
unloading plates and film is fast and accurate and provides considerable flexibility in handling
a wide variety and sizes of plates and films.
Select the ideal workflow solution for your business. All Cymbolic systems connect
to a computer host via a standard wide-differential SCSI interface. The host computer may
be an Apple Macintosh, Intel-based Windows NT/95/98,Alpha-based Windows NT, SGI, SUN
or other Unix based system. The connected workstation can be a dedicated RIP or also
support associated applications, such as imposition and trapping. The price/performance of
the RIP is usually determined by the nature and volume of production. There are many
products available from leading RIP Workflow manufacturers that drive the whole family of
platesetters from Cymbolic Sciences. These include: Agfa Apogee, Agfa Intellinet PlateFlow,
ArtQuest Crescendo, Compose Systems Netflow, Cymbolic Sciences PlateQ, Fuji CelebraNT,
Fuji HQ RIP, HighWater TorreNT, LDR Fusion, Monotype RIP Express, Rampage Systems
and Xitron Navigator.
Using our PlateQ as a workflow solution also allows many other workflow solutions to be
used. PlateQ can accept files from a wide range of RIPs connected to a network. It holds
ripped, compressed bitmap files and sends them to the platesetter as required. This
configuration allows connection to any suitable RIP on a network and even allows the transfer
of files to a remote site. As the files require no processing, imaging can begin immediately.
These files can also be saved until a job is off the press, in case a plate re-make is required.
Many solutions have already been certified as PlateQ-compatible including: all Harlequin
ScriptWorks OEM products, and PCC PageFlow and PackFlow.
Make an affordable decision. You don’t have to be a large printer to benefit from our
CTP technology. Our prices are comparable to a similar size imagesetter so you can count
on a fast return on investment. With CTP you’ll expand profits by increasing productivity,
reducing material cost and improving print quality.
Our semi-automatic plate
handling system means you can
load or unload a plate in as
little as ten seconds.
Greg Tremonti
President
NTA Graphics
Toledo, USA
“The NewsJet’s simplicity of operation was
important for our business.We needed a
system that was going to be very reliable, not
mechanically complex.The NewsJet directly
preceeds the press in our workflow; its low
failure rate has been critical to its success.”
CTP for every application
Cymbolic Sciences has CTP systems installed in commercial printing plants, daily newspapers,
business forms printers, insert printers and book publishers. We have developed a line of
products to suit various production environments.
PlateJet8. An 8-up platesetter, PlateJet8 exposes plates
and film up to 44 x 36" (111.7 x 91.4cm) at resolutions up to
4,000 dpi. PlateJet8 is capable of imaging 12 full-size plates
an hour, which includes loading and unloading of media. Its
fast semi-automatic load/unload system handles a wide range
of media sizes, without any hardware reconfiguration.
PlateJet4. Cymbolic Sciences’ PlateJet4 images plates and
film from 9 x 14" (23 x 35cm) to 37 x 27" (94 x 69cm). Ideal
for commercial web and 4-up offset printing applications, it
images at resolutions up to 4,000 dpi.
NewsJet. Designed for the newspaper industry, the NewsJet
is built for speed, imaging a single truck plate in 45 seconds at
1,000 dpi. With a maximum image size of 37 x 27" (94 x 69cm)
and resolution up to 2,000 dpi, it’s suitable for all commercial
web applications.
PlateQ. Queuing software for all Cymbolic Sciences
platesetters, PlateQ provides a broad network connection to
software RIPs and workstations. PlateQ accepts standard
compressed TIFF files, assigns exposure parameters for various
plates or films and drives the connected CTP unit.
Jim Moss
Co-owner, Production Director
Jensen Press
Somerset, England
“By going direct to plates from digital files with
laser light we’re getting registration that’s spot
on. And we don’t have to spend 15 minutes
cleaning the dust spots off a set of plates.
By the end of a week we’ve saved about six
to seven hours in production time.”
A mature service organization. As a manufacturer of capital equipment that is critical
to our customer’s operation, Cymbolic Sciences prides itself on maintaining a top notch
service organization. Field support staff are located in major centers throughout Europe, the
USA, and at our customer service center in Vancouver, Canada. All Cymbolic field engineers
only service Cymbolic Sciences products. Customers in the Far East, Australia, the Middle
East and South America are serviced by our factory-trained distributors. Critical parts are
readily available from our outlets in the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, and at the Federal
Express distribution center in Memphis, USA. This means that parts can be ordered up to
10:30pm EST, 6 days a week for delivery to a customer’s facility by 10:30am the following day
(Federal Express does not deliver on Sundays or holidays).
Cymbolic Sciences offers several flexible maintenance options that meet the variable needs
of our customers. Custom agreements can also be arranged to satisfy unique requirements.
Depending on the service agreement, our customers can access an engineer 24 hours a day,
Monday through Saturday and between 8:00am to 5:00pm on Sundays.
Our corporate story.
Cymbolic Sciences develops,
manufactures and markets digital
imaging products, including
Computer-to-Plate systems, wide
format printers and film recorders
for various markets. The company
serves its customers through its head
office in Bellingham,Washington,
a manufacturing and development
operation in Vancouver, Canada,
and additional offices in
Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
Cymbolic Sciences was founded
in 1986. From 1986 to 1992, the
company was based in Southern
California, where it manufactured and
sold a line of automated optical
inspection (AOI) instruments for
the printed circuit board industry.
In 1990, the company acquired the
assets and product lines of the
electro/optical products division
(EOP) of MacDonald Dettwiler (MDA)
in Richmond, British Columbia.
EOP was formed in 1984 to
develop and market products
stemming from MDA’s successful
continuous-tone Fire 240 film
recorder used in the American
space program. In 1986, the Fire
1000 film recorder was developed
for prepress shops and photo labs
and was shown for the first time
at Drupa. During 1985, EOP
developed its first half-tone film
recorder, the Fire 9000, which it
marketed to the printed circuit
board industry.The Fire 9000
gained a reputation for being the
highest quality photoplotter
available. More than 600 of the
photoplotters have been installed
worldwide; more than 97% are still
used in daily production.The core
technology of this product forms
the basis of Cymbolic Sciences’
current line of CTP products.
After the acquisition of EOP by
Cymbolic Sciences, engineers from
the two organizations were brought
together to further develop EOP’s
product lines. In 1992, Cymbolic
Sciences discontinued the AOI
products and relocated its
engineering and manufacturing
headquarters to Richmond, British
Columbia. Since 1995, Cymbolic
has introduced new half-tone and
continuous-tone products including
the PlateJet, NewsJet and LightJet,
all of which have refined the
end-user’s workflow efficiencies.
Cymbolic Sciences has more than
1500 imaging machines installed
in 41 countries.
info@cymbolic.com
www.cymbolic.com
PlateJet, NewsJet, LightJet and Cymbolic
Sciences are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Cymbolic Sciences, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.
Victor Giles
Pre-press Systems Manager
Christian Publicity Organization
Worthing, England
“We consulted with the British Printing
Industries Federation and the organization
told us Cymbolic Sciences platesetters are
the most reliable and have a proven record.”
USA
Cymbolic Sciences
665 West Stuart Road
Bellingham, Washington
98226
Tel. (360) 756-4000
1-800-251-5863
Fax. (360) 756-4055
Canada
Cymbolic Sciences
13231 Delf Place, Bldg 501
Richmond, British Columbia
V6V 2C3
Tel. (604) 273-7730
1-800-251-5863
Fax. (604) 273-2775
Europe
Cymbolic Sciences
Hettenheuvelweg 41
1101 BM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel. (31) 20-6919-221
Fax. (31) 20-6911-371
Asia
Cymbolic Sciences
8 / F Bank of America Tower
12 Harcourt Road
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2899-2975
Fax: (852) 2899-2976
info@cymbolic.com
www.cymbolic.com
Printed in Canada by
Broadway Printers using
plates imaged on PlateJet.
04/99
UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE
For additional information please visit us online or call 800-816-5755 (International Callers: 941-925-1303)
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