SAN LUIS OBISPO - DuPont is helping Cal Poly graphic communication students learn about thermal plate processing with state-of-the-art, environmentally safe equipment. Dupont Cyrel Packaging Graphics has loaned a Cyrel FAST Flexographic photopolymer plate-making system to the university's Graphic Communication Department. The system includes the Cyrel 1000 EC/LF Exposure Frame and the 1000TD CyrelR FAST processor. This latest technology allows students to learn how to produce Flexographic printing plates without using any fluid. The plate is heated and pressed against a non-woven fiber material, removing the unexposed polymer material, according Graphic Communication Professor Malcolm Keif. It is a fast and environmentally friendly method for making printing plates, he says. The FAST system is great for teaching students the principles behind thermal plate processing, while also positioning the department for complete digital workflow, Keif says. The Cyrel thermal developer eliminates the need for all solvents and VOC (volatile organic compounds) traditionally associated with plate making. It also cuts plate-making time by 70 percent.