Kodak has announced enhancements to its automated thermal CTP portfolio for newspaper printing at the Wan Ifra World Publishing Expo in Vienna.
Kodak has introduced a 16% laser power improvement for both the Generation News and the Trendsetter News Platesetters, meaning newspaper printers can image more plates in a shorter time.
Due to the additional laser power, the throughput of the Generation News Platesetter Z-speed version has increased from 258 to 277 Sonora News processfFree plates per hour while that of the Trendsetter News platesetter V-speed version is up from 116 to 129 plates announced the manufacturer. Kodak intends to make this enhancement commercially available as a standard feature in the first quarter of 2017.
Among the other enhancements announced is the introduction of a new high speed imaging technology called W speed, an opitional addition to the Kodak Trendsetter news platesetter which combined with Sonora news process free plates and the autoloader brings throughput from 150 to 240 plates per hour.  The new W-speed option will be released in Q2 2017.
Another feature that will be added is the new mobile CTP control app that will allow customers to monitor multiple CTP systems from anywhere in the world.  Users can get immediate feedback on their platemaking process via the Internet anywhere in the world.  The new Kodak mobile CTP control app will be commercially available early 2017.
On the power saving front, Kodak has introduced a new cooling system that  ‘improves’ power savings by an additional 30% compared to the initial design, namely down to 770 watts while imaging.
“These newest enhancements to our CTP solutions are further evidence of Kodak’s faith in the future of newspaper and coldset web offset printing,” said Brad Kruchten, president of Kodak’s print systems division.