Customer Information Manual

Transcription

1 Customer Information Manual Kodak Thermal Platinum Digital Plates Geographic Scope: Americas PAGE 1 OF 17

2 Table of Contents 1.0 OPERATING, HANDLING & STORAGE CONDITIONS PRESS PERFORMANCE THERMAL PLATINUM PLATE CHEMISTRY PROCESSOR SET-UP AND CONFIGURATION PROCESSOR CONFIGURATION PROCESSOR LINE SETUP PREHEAT AND POSTBAKE OVEN SETUP AND CONFIGURATION FIND THE FOG POINT AND SET OVEN TEMPERATURE POSTBAKE OVEN SETUP PRESS CHEMISTRY COMPATIBILITY FOR UNBAKED/BAKED THERMAL PLATINUM PLATES CHEMICAL COMPATIBILITY...13 APPENDIX A TROUBLESHOOTING...14 APPENDIX B PROCESSING LINE MAINTENANCE...15 DEVELOPER SYSTEM CLEANING...16 SYSTEM CLEANING PROCEDURE...16 PAGE 2 OF 17

3 1.0 Operating, Handling & Storage Conditions Category Operating conditions Specifications Temperature 20 C 23.8 C (68 F - 76 F) Humidity 40% 50% Safelight Manual handling Yellow / gold filter sleeves When plates are being carried in either their outer casings or interior packaging, the plates must be carried vertically to avoid bending or kinking. The outer packaging can look undamaged, but the plates inside can become kinked if proper handling procedures are not carried out. Plates carried with any kind of bend may distort the plates and effect the loading and punching of the plate in the platesetter Loading into platesetters The punching and loading of plates in any platesetter is critical, with the plates having to travel through gaps of 1 2 mm. Also many platesetters do not have an auto focus systems, therefore problems will occur in both loading and imaging of the plate if the plates are bent or kinked. This can be seen as the plate background having areas of undeveloped coating. Out of focus situations can also be caused by dirt, debris or any foreign body on the platesetter drum or on the back of a plate. When loading plates of sizes 1030 and larger, two people should carry the plates from the packaging to the platesetter cassette. Or load 5 10 plates at a time out of the packet so they can be carried vertically and easily loaded by one person. Damage to the plate edges and introducing edge wave by poor handling of the product will incur platesetter errors in loading, registration and imaging of the plate. In most cases this will cause the plate to be rejected by the platesetter. Transport & storage Store plates flat in their packaging, away from excessive cold, heat, high humidity or direct sunlight. Proper plate storage conditions: Temperature 68 F 76 F (20 C 23.8 C) Humidity 40% 50% Pre-heat ventilation Not required PAGE 3 OF 17

4 2.0 Press Performance Category Run length UV application Press solvent and wash resistance (unbaked) Specifications Up to 500,000 unbaked, 1,000,000+ baked Requires postbaking Do not use chemicals that have a ph greater than 8 as they will attack the image. All chemicals should be tested on a solid and 50% image and evaluated for image attack prior to using. Soak a pad with chemical and allow it to be in contact of the image of the plate for at least 2 and 5 minutes. Rinse chemical off with water. If image loss is exhibited, discontinue use of these chemicals as they affect run length of the product. Consult with chemical vendor for alternative products. Most graphic arts chemicals can be used. Press solvent and wash resistance (postbaked) Note: If image loss occurs, increase the oven temperature 10 F and perform a postbake/deletion fluid test. Postbake/deletion test: After plate has been postbaked, place a drop of deletion fluid 229 in 10 different locations of the image area. Wipe away one of the drops, using a damp cloth, every minute until all the drops have been removed. If image attack is seen before 10 minutes, increase the temperature 10 F and repeat test. * Depending on press, paper and exposure conditions. ** Depending on press and paper conditions. It is strongly recommend that all pressroom chemicals that will come into contact with the Thermal Platinum Plate be tested on a solid image prior to using. Postbaking is strongly recommended for UV applications. PAGE 4 OF 17

5 3.0 Thermal Platinum Plate Chemistry Category Developer Specifications Kodak MX-1813 Plate Developer Resource Number (5 gal.) Resource Number (52 gal. drum) Resource Number (220 gal. tote) Resource Number (1000 liter tote) Replenisher Kodak MX-1919 Plate Regenerator or MX-1813 Plate Developer Resource Number (5 gal.) Resource Number (52 gal. drum) Resource Number (220 gal. tote) Resource Number (1000 liter tote) Plate finisher (baked and unbaked applications) Prebake solutions Kodak 850S Plate Finisher Global Resource Number (1 gal.) Global Resource Number (5 gal.) Global Resource Number (55 gal.) Kodak MX-1591 Prebake Solution Resource Number (5 gal.) Kodak Ultratherm Prebake Solution Resource Number (5 gal.) Deletion Kodak 229 Negative Image Remover Resource Number Kimoto Corr-Quick Addition Staedtler Lumocolor pens Sharpie Industrial (Red Label) Plate cleaner Kodak PR-500 Plate Cleaner - Resource Number Kodak PR-600 Plate Cleaner - Resource Number (used with postbaked plates only) Storage Gum Kodak Aqua-Image Plate Cleaner/Preserver Resource Number Kodak 268 Storage Gum Resource Number Developer Filter µ cotton filter - Resource Number Water/Gum Filter µ cotton filter - Resource Number PAGE 5 OF 17

6 4.0 Processor Set-Up and Configuration Ensure that your processor is installed and set up correctly. Incorrect processor installation or set-up can compromise imaging quality. The developer anti-oxidation cover and processor lids are to be in place at all times during operation to reduce the oxidation of the developer that could lead to shifts in developer conductivity and activity. System latitude Higher-throughput platesetter devices image the media at a faster surface speed. Frequency Modulated (FM) screening also places extra demands on the plate making system (plate, imaging, and processing line). Consideration of these two scenarios needs to be made as they can reduce the overall latitude of the plate making system. It is important to ensure each part of the system is optimized and maintained to give the widest possible latitude. 4.1 Processor Configuration Standard Speed Settings Settings Dwell time (Dip To Nip) Brush developer rollers speed and configuration Developer exit configuration Processor 16 seconds (+/-1 second) Maximum speed setting Two developer brush rollers in developer section Developer Developer temperature Aim 24 C Range 23 C to 25 C Replenisher Developer replenishment rate Anti-Oxidation replenishment Developer cycle Expected developer life Prebake solution life Finisher solution life Dual processing Kodak MX-1919 Plate Regenerator, CCU setup remains the same ml/ft², select per plate if using the QDM Every 5-7ml/ft² 1500ft²/gallon 6 Weeks 7 working days. Replenish with full strength as needed. 7 working days. Replenish with full strength as needed. PAGE 6 OF 17

7 Non-Standard Speed Settings Settings Dwell time (Dip To Nip) Brush developer rollers speed and configuration Developer exit configuration Processor 22 seconds (+/-1 second) Maximum speed setting Two developer brush rollers in developer section Either developer or water Rinse Developer temperature Aim 24 C Range 23 C to 25 C Replenisher Developer replenishment rate Anti-Oxidation replenishment Developer cycle Expected developer life Prebake solution life Finisher solution life Dual processing Kodak MX-1919 Plate Regenerator ml/ft² Every 10-12ml/ft², based on longer dwell time 1000ft²/gallon 4 Weeks 7 working days. Replenish with full strength as needed. 7 working days. Replenish with full strength as needed. * The use of non-standard speed settings is only recommended when processing system does not allow for standard speed of 16 seconds DTN throughout line or when intermixing with KODAK Thermal Gold Digital Plates. This is not a recommended change for troubleshooting and when possible must use the SOP settings. This is strictly for use with equipment transport limitation issues. 4.2 Processor Line Setup Clean processor and change filter (systems clean recommended if not done in past six months) Chemistry must be fresh to include prebake solution and finisher Set processor speed to 16 seconds dip-to-nip (overall processor speed will vary with different processors, but dip-to-nip time must be 16seconds. Record dial settings of KODAK Thermal Platinum Plates and other media to reference at a later time) Note: if customer is running a Quartz processor, speeds may not allow for a 16 second dip-to-nip transport; In order to allow for faster processing speed you will need to order and install the following kit (Quartz Sprocket Kit #MDK0011) PAGE 7 OF 17

8 5.0 Preheat and Postbake Oven Setup and Configuration The preheat oven setup is similar to that of Thermal Gold, but not as critical to the cross-linking process. Thermal Platinum is more laser power dependent that preheat dependent and therefore allows us to have a wider fog window. Although not as critical as Thermal Gold, the setup must still be correct and the steps to make sure proper setup is achieved are still needed. 5.1 Find the Fog Point and Set Oven Temperature Set preheat oven transport speed to match processor input speed Verify temperatures in preheat oven and processor are correct o Chemistry temperature should be at 24 C o Starting preheat temperature set at 300 F (normally fog point is seen from F) Run fog test using the following technique: (must have a deletion pen to run fog test correctly; preferably a C51 or Corr-Quick, but others will work) o Run a raw plate (largest size) only through the processor and not the preheat oven, as a reference o Test deletion pen on processed plate to verify there is no substrate/background attack from the deletion fluid Pick a spot on the processed plate and run deletion pen in a circular motion as to create a spot with deletion fluid (pen) With a wet rag/cloth/towel, wipe the deletion fluid from plate and then dry with another rag/cloth/towel There should be no visual difference between the spot deleted and the rest of the plate If no attack/difference is evident, deletion pen is ok to use for fog test; if there is a visual difference, try a different deletion pen o With preheat temperature at 300 F as a starting point, run a raw plate (largest size) through the processing line (includes preheat oven) o Check for fog with deletion pen similar to procedure above, except you will be checking seven different points on the plate instead of one. Figure below displays points on plate Note: Thermal Platinum Plates are unlike Thermal Gold Plates and tend to fog more evenly across the plate and finishes around the edges rather than down the middle. PAGE 8 OF 17

9 Points should be at least 2 away from both edges of plate o If fog is noted, drop the preheat temperature by 5 F and run the test again. You will continue to do this until you reach a temperature where there is no visual difference between deletion spot and the background around it; basically, you will not be able to see a spot from the deletion pen on all 7 points of the plate o Once you have reached this point, you will select a temperature between the clean plate temperature and the last fog temperature. If there is fog evident at this point, then your fog point will be this temperature; If there is no fog evident, then the last temperature where fog was evident will be what is referred to as slight fog or fog point Ex. fogged plate 290 F, clean plate 285 F; check for fog at 287 F or 288 F depending on heaviness of fog on the last fogged plate Ex. 287/288 F fogged, then 267/268 F is set point Ex. 287/288 F no fog, then 270 F is set point o Once fog point is achieved, drop the preheat temperature 20 F from the fog point and this now becomes your setpoint Ex. FP=290 F SP=270 F Below is an example of the fog test done on small strips to mimic what we would visually see on the plate; although you may not clearly see the difference on this picture, you will see it better first hand. The point is to give you an idea of how uniformed the fogging is on the plate PAGE 9 OF 17

10 Slight Fog Fogged Fogged No Fog Verify replenishment rate is at 10-12mls/ft² as per SOP (current settings should suffice) Verify Anti-Ox is active and set to 5-7mls/ft² or as determined by customer use If postbake oven is present, temperature and oven speed will need to be adjusted to match the faster processing speeds; a postbake chemical resistance test will need to be done to verify that the product stands up to more than five minutes of chemical attack; 425 F is a good starting point In some cases, the rinse/gum unit will need a sprocket replacement kit to allow it to run at the faster processing speeds (Quartz Sprocket Kit #MDK0011) Note: Determine the fog point for each plate size. If a number of different plate sizes are being used, knowing the fog point for each size will allow you to determine if one pre-heat oven temperature setting will work for all plate sizes. Follow steps 1 through 5 and record the fog point for each plate size in the following table. Plate Fog Point Temp Operating Temp (fog 20 F) Plate#1 F F Plate#2 F F Plate#3 F F Average F F PAGE 10 OF 17

11 5.2 Postbake Oven Setup Conventional Oven (Wisconsin) If postbake oven is present, temperature and oven speed will need to be adjusted to match the faster processing speeds; a postbake chemical resistance test will need to be done to verify that the product stands up to more than 10 minutes of chemical attack; 450 F is a good starting point. Initial set point o Kodak Q Plate 16 sec dip-to-nip 450 F o Kodak Mercury P-HD Plate 16 sec dip-to-nip 500 F If plate is showing signs of too much waviness, drop the temperature in increments of 5 F until waviness is close to being gone Plate will change to a dark green color when postbaked correctly (not golden brown) Postbaking will help with not only chemical resistance, but with mechanical wear In some cases, the rinse/gum unit will need a sprocket replacement kit to allow it to run at the faster processing speeds (Sprocket Kit) Infrared Oven (Kodak Quick Bake Oven) If postbake oven is present, temperature and oven speed will need to be adjusted to match the faster processing speeds; a postbake chemical resistance test will need to be done to verify that the product stands up to more than 10 minutes of chemical attack. Initial set point o Kodak Q Plate 22 sec dip-to-nip 45% o Kodak Mercury P-HD Plate 22 sec dip-to-nip 55% If plate is showing signs of too much waviness, drop the temperature in increments of 5% until waviness is close to being gone Plate will change to a dark green color when postbaked correctly (not golden brown) Postbaking will help with not only chemical resistance, but with mechanical wear In some cases, the Quickbake will need a speed mod upgrade to allow for faster speed throughput. PAGE 11 OF 17

12 6.0 Press Chemistry Compatibility for Unbaked/Baked Thermal Platinum Plates Most alkaline chemicals are not compatible with non-postbaked plates. Kodak Thermal Platinum Digital Plates, when properly postbaked, are impervious to almost all chemicals. It is very important that a chemical resistance test be done at every customer site regardless of known compatibility. All customer conditions are different and certain applications don t run well when combined. The proper way of conducting a chemical resistance test is to gather all the chemicals from the customer site, which will come in contact with the printing plate in any manner and perform a drop test. If within five minutes of the drop being applied to the plate, there are no effects of coating attack, then the chemical should be ok to use. Postbaking plates is highly recommended when a customer has questionable chemicals that in your opinion could cause on press performance issues. PAGE 12 OF 17

13 6.1 Chemical Compatibility Chemical Name Status /No Fountain Solution Kelstar SF-5099 & 5099XT Solution Kelstar SF-5089 Solution Prisco 3451U Solution Prisco Web Fount 211 Solution Prisco 3551 Solution Prisco H8PB6 Solution Anchor Solution Allied All-Star Solution RBP 9000H Solution Rycoline 4050 Solution No Plate Cleaner Prisco LPC Plate Cleaner Kodak PR-500 Plate Cleaner Allied UPC Plate Cleaner No, causes restart blinding Deletion/Addition Corr Quick Deletion Kodak 229 Negative Image Remover Press Wash Prisco Dissolin Press Wash Prisco Ecure Press Wash Baldwin Impact Press Wash Allied Daily Press Wash PAGE 13 OF 17

14 Appendix A Troubleshooting Symptom Possible causes Corrective Action Coating debris in non image areas (coating redeposit) Transport rollers dirty Developer overextended No re-circulation in the back of developer tray Developer re-circulation pump failed Clean all rollers. Drain developer and replace with fresh developer, clean all rollers Increase flow and check for pump failure Replace with a high volume pump and hoses; use systems cleaner. Developer temperature too low Set developer temperature to 24 C Developer brush not 100 % (maximum) Processor speed to fast Developer filter plugged Check developer brush speed and adjust Check and adjust processor speed Replace/check filter Tinting or scumming in the Non-image area Developer temperature too low Set developer temperature to 24 C Developer overextended Plate is underexposed Drain developer and replace with fresh developer, clean all rollers Reestablish proper exposure Ghosting or image attack Chemistry depleted or Water contamination Incorrect pressure on processor brush roller Plate batch variation Too much re-circulation from the front spray bar of the developer section The front developer brush roller pressure too light Plate processor is running too slow Developer temperature is too hot Dump chemistry and replace (check replenish rate if depleted prematurely) Inspect/adjust pressure on brush roller Call your local Kodak representative Decrease developer flow. Adjust the front developer brush roller to the correct pressure Check and adjust the speed of the processor Adjust chiller or developer temperature to PAGE 14 OF 17

15 Appendix B Processing Line Maintenance Note: During any maintenance of the processor and the handling of chemicals personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn. Always refer to Health and Safety material data sheets. Processor Chemistry Changed Record plate count of chemistry change. Dump developer and prebake tanks. Remove developer filter. Remove all rollers from developer tank. Rinse and wipe down developer tank with water and wipe dry. Remove all rollers from rinse and prebake section of processor and clean. Check all rollers for cuts, tears, gouges, bad swelling and worn out bushings. Any indication that the roller or bushings needs to be replaced. Clean prebake section by rinsing with warm water for 10 minutes. Re-install all rollers. Replace developer filter. Fill developer tank with Kodak MX-1813 Plate Developer. Remove exhausted prebake pail and replace with new container. Fill prebake tank with appropriate chemical. Reset plate count to zero. Check developer circulation by watching the agitation in developer tank. Check levels of all chemicals. Make sure there is adequate chemistry to continue. Check that there is adequate rinse water coming through the water spray bars. Check the direction and aim for all rinse spray bars. Ensure the water is draining properly from the rinse water tank. Check for adequate flow of prebake solution being applied to plate. Check that the plates are exiting the processor dry and the dryer is blowing warm air. Run three or four "clean-up" plates to allow chemicals to mix. These can be processed plates. Wipe down processor and clean up lid edge. Once developer temperature has stabilized, you are now ready to image and process plates. Check and record conductivity. Preheat Oven Check for worn out sprockets. Check for breaks in conveyor chain. Check fans are running (no squealing noise). Check conveyor speed to processor speed. This speed should be faster then the processor. PAGE 15 OF 17

16 Postbake Oven Check for worn out sprockets. Check for breaks in conveyor chain. Check fans are running (no squealing noise). Check conveyor speed to processor speed. This speed should be faster then the processor. Conveyor to Rinse Gum Unit Check for worn out sprockets. Check for breaks in conveyor chain. Rinse Gum Unit Remove all rollers from gum unit and clean with warm water. Check all rollers for cuts, tears, gouges, bad swelling and worn out bushings. Any indication that the rollers or bushings needs to be replaced. Clean gum tank by rinsing with warm water for 10 minutes. Fill gum tank with appropriate chemical. Check levels of gum chemicals. Make sure there is adequate chemistry to continue. Check that the plates are exiting the processor dry and the dryer is blowing warm air. Developer System Cleaning Theoretically a properly replenished developer system in a processor could run forever. We are placing an exposed plate in the machine that is depleting some of the activity of the chemicals then replenishing with a fresh charge of chemicals that counter-act that depletion. We do a system clean for maintenance, not because the developer is bad. Why do I have to perform a developer system clean? Dirt and by-product build-up will clog the recirculation system, contributing to poor performance of the developer. These by-products adhere to the walls of tubing and pumps causing a restricted flow of developer. Developer system cleaner is an acid or has acid-like properties that eat away this build-up without harming the tubing/pumps/tanks. How often should I clean the system? Low to medium volume customers = twice per year. High volume customers = once per quarter. How long will this take? To thoroughly go through the processor, clean and recharge should take about 2-3 hours. System cleaning procedure Note: Use proper safety procedures goggles, apron, rubber gloves and Kodak Developer Systems Cleaner and Neutralizer Catalog # Drain the developer tank Remove the old developer filter Remove developer scrubs and check for broken gears or missing screws/parts Wipe out bottom of tank to remove excess build-up Fill with water and add Part A and B of Developer System Cleaner (as instructed by the enclosed directions) PAGE 16 OF 17

17 Circulate for 30 minutes Do not leave overnight Drain (remember to drain filter housing if processor is so equipped on each draining) Refill with water and run for 5 minutes Refill ½ way with water then add Neutralizer Circulate for 15 minutes Drain Refill with water and run for 5 minutes Drain all water from tank, lines and filter canister Fill with 1 to 2 gallons of developer and recirculate to flush water out of pumps and lines Inspect pump head and drain lines after cleaning to make sure system is not clogged with debris from the cleaning process. Install new filter Recharge with Kodak MX-1813 Plate Developer PAGE 17 OF 17