P
rinting as an industry is seen, rightly or wrongly, as having a major impact
on the environment. However, it is also a costly process with high costs
for electricity, water and also the use of expensive and potentially harmful
chemicals. One area of the printing process where printers can save, not
only money but also contribute to saving the environment, is in platemaking. By
upgrading or changing their plates to processless or low chemistry plates, printers
can increase efficiency, increase productivity, reduce waste and achieve higher
printing quality. All of this translates into savings and cost efficiency.
Fujifilm offers both a processless plate – Brillia HD PRO-T3 - and ‘lo-chem’
thermal plate production solutions, with the latter comprising three plates –
Brillia HD LH-PXE, LH-PLE and LH-PJE – and award winning ZAC processor
system. Both solutions can have a major impact on efficiency
and competitiveness.
Processless plates obviously offer the greatest level of savings. Not only
do they completely eliminate the need for a processor and the associated
chemistry, water usage and energy, but they can often be run almost entirely
without operator intervention which means that they offer savings in
labour costs as well. There is also no waste chemistry generated and no
waste water which saves money on recovery and recycling costs. The
environmental benefits are also quite extensive as there is no pollution
or effluent being released into the atmosphere or water system.
A lo-chem system is an option for printers who prefer a more traditional route
to platemaking but who find the reduction in chemistry attractive. Lo-chem
plates combined with Fujifilm’s award-winning ZAC processing system reduce
the volume of replenisher injected into the developer tank during the course of
normal operation. Most processors work by injecting replenisher into the tank
after each plate is processed, irrespective of the size of plate or image area
that needs to be processed. The patented ZAC system works by measuring the
conductivity of the bath constantly and only replenishing the required amount.
This can result in significant savings during the course of a shift, day, week,
month and year. Chemistry savings of as much as 80 percent can be achieved
and water usage can drop by as much as half. Savings in energy are also
achieved because it is easier to maintain the temperature of the bath than
to constantly be adjusting due to the higher replenishment rate.
While the benefits accrued from the use of lo-chem or processless plates are
often best measured in the platemaking department, there are other benefits
which can be realised in the pressroom as well. Fujifilm has seen marked
reductions in paper waste during the make-ready process when using its
lo-chem or processless plates compared to standard thermal plates. Another
saving is in ink usage as many printers who have changed over to a
processless system find that they achieve significant savings.
For many printers around the world, the environmental concerns are of primary
importance. European markets are governed by stringent environmental
regulations. In the local South African market place the enforcement of
environmental legislation has been slow to arrive but this situation is
expected to change in the near future as pressure from export markets
start to have an impact. More and more printers are expected to convert
to the lo-chem or processless options.
Fujifilm has achieved such a high level of success with its Brillia HD PRO-T3
processless plate around the world that, at Drupa 2012 it instituted a
programme of donating a percentage of all sales of the plate to the
international organisation WaterAid which provides clean, piped water
to impoverished and rural communities in Africa. According to Fujifilm the
connection between WaterAid and the Brillia HD PRO-T3 plate was a logical
one as the processless plate completely eliminates the need for water in the
platemaking process. To-date the company has donated over 100 000 Euros
to WaterAid thanks to the success and popularity of this plate.
It is difficult to measure exactly the environmental benefits of processless plates,
but it is safe to say that many printing companies around the world that have
achieved ISO 14001 EMS certification have introduced processless plates as
a mechanism to improve environmental performance. Fujifilm’s plate
manufacturing plants also have ISO 14001 certification, which means that
even the process of manufacturing the plates has the lowest possible
environmental impact.
The actual savings which printers can expect to achieve from the use of
processless or lo-chem plates from Fujifilm will depend on the volume of
plates used. It may also take a period of time before the actual savings
become fully apparent but it is guaranteed that you will save money with
either of these options.
For more information contact Fujifilm South Africa on
011 430 5400
or visit the
website
Printed on supplied by
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