ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — With the steady migration to fully digital workflows by midsize and smaller commercial printers, the Screen PlateRite 4300 series thermal platesetter will continue to play an important role in improving printing companies' productivity and the quality of their plates. Screen developed the PlateRite 4300 series to satisfy the high-quality plate requirements of four-page and six-page presses found in many pressrooms.

At Graphics of the Americas 2009, Screen (USA) is partnering with IBF Corp. (booth #686) to showcase the popular four-up (B2) CTP device. IBF is the market leader in Brazil for offset plates and graphic arts films, as well as a major distributor of related products, such as chemistry, paper and prepress equipment.

With a minimum plate size of 12 inches x 14.6 inches (304 mm x 370 mm), the two models in the PlateRite 4300 series can satisfy the two-up format still very much in use for short-run printing. Six-up production is possible as well, thanks to the maximum plate size of 32.7 inches x 26 inches (830 mm x 660 mm).

The PlateRite 4300E is extremely attractive to first-time CTP buyers. This entry-level device features a 16-channel laser diode exposure head that supports imaging resolutions of 2,400 dpi, 2,438 dpi and 2,540 dpi. It outputs 11 plates per hour when imaging 28.5 x 24.2-inch (724 mm x 615 mm) plates at 2,400 dpi.

The PlateRite 4300S is engineered to meet the needs of customers requiring higher plate volume. The PlateRite 4300S incorporates a 32-channel exposure head, supporting imaging resolutions from 1,200 dpi to 4,000 dpi. At 2,400 dpi, it outputs 21 plates per hour.

Users can upgrade the PlateRite 4300E to achieve greater output capacity at their production facilities. Starting with the same base engine, the PlateRite 4300E can be upgraded from an entry-level manual machine to a faster, fully automated model by simply replacing certain key parts.

Screen's unique clamping and automatic drum balancing systems provide the precision and stability necessary for handling a wide range of plate formats at high speed. The PlateRite 4300E and PlateRite 4300S also feature automatic inline plate punching — a key feature for maintaining high-precision plate registration to enable quicker press makereadies.

Automatic plate handling is an important feature for achieving maximum production efficiencies. The optional single-cassette autoloader with automatic interleaf paper removal can hold up to 100 plates. The multiple-cassette autoloader comes with three cassettes, each able to hold a different plate size for a total of 300 plates.

You can see the PlateRite 4300S at the IBF Corp. demonstration area in booth #686 at Graphics of the Americas 2009, February 26-28 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.