The :Azura CX125 COU, Agfa Graphics’ newest clean-out unit now brings its industry-leading :Azura TS chemistry-free thermal plates also to high-volume users. This new system yields additional 60% reduction in gum consumption as compared to the known and worldwide adopted :Azura standard. 

The patented technology behind Agfa Graphics’ :Azura CX125 COU greatly reduces gum consumption and extends bath life, meeting the demands of higher volume users of :Azura TS thermal plates. The :Azura CX125 COU, which can accommodate plate widths up to 125cm, will be on display at drupa 2012 (Düsseldorf, Germany May 3 – 16, Hall 8A). 

The new :Azura CX125 COU is designed to handle plate volumes up to 40,000 sqm. With a bath life of up to 7000 sqm, maintenance is further reduced. Its new and innovative, small-footprint design aids in the reduction of gum consumption, and extends bath life, resulting in greater productivity and reduced time and labor associated with maintenance, when compared with traditional thermal processors. 

OTT Imprimeurs (http://www.ott-imprimeur.fr) is a 130 year-old printing company based in France and has been using the new :Azura CX125 COU since it was launched at IGAS 2011. 
“We were impressed with the bath life of far over 5000 sqm effectively cleaning the plates without contaminating the machine. The new system is very easy to use, and we’ve reduced gum consumption by more than half. Agfa Graphics continues to put new and better solutions on the market. They are simpler to use, save us energy, make us more environmentally-friendly and help make our staff be more productive.” said Mr. Gangloff, Prepress Manager at OTT Imprimeurs. 

How it Works 
The ‘Cascade’ technology behind the :Azura CX125 COU cleans each plate in two steps 
The primary clean out is carried out in Section 1, the plate then passes to Section 2 where the Gum is always fresh from the bottle ensuring a perfectly clean gummed plate. The clever bit, is the cascade of gum from section 2 to section 1, where a small volume of water is added to compensate for evaporation. This considerably reduces gum waste and significantly extends bath life, offering added environmental benefits and reduced maintenance costs. 

“The patented technology in the new :Azura CX125 COU clean-out unit results in reliable throughput with fewer changeovers, for greater productivity, efficiency and ease of use. This gives large commercial printers the benefits of stable, convenient and ecological plate-making and a lower cost of ownership for maximum efficiency and greater productivity,” said Ralph Hilsdon, Marketing Manager, Pre-Press systems, Agfa Graphics. “When paired with Agfa’s :Avalon platesetters, large-volume printers will experience greater productivity and see extensive reductions in system maintenance and downtime.”