Krause Expands, Upgrades CTP Systems

By: E&P Staff Krause-Biagosch, Bielefeld, Germany, is introducing three platesetters, the LS Jet 350, which it calls the fastest violet platesetter, the XJet, for waterless offset newspaper printing on a KBA Cortina press, and the LS Asia for larger-format plates.

According to Krause Technical Director Thomas Richter, the LS Jet 350's exposure speed, in the resolution range of 1,200 to 1,270 dpi, comes from a faster polygon, a 160mW laser, and a faster NetLink interface.

Krause is promoting its latest violet imager in conjunction with its BlueFin CF (chemical-free) plate processor, which it is expanding into a range of processors. The CF version also is smaller that the earlier BlueFin model, as it dispenses with preheating and rinsing.

For the U.S. market, Krause now offers the BlueFin XS for the plate sizes required to print the smaller pages now found in so many newspapers.

Another new BlueFin model almost doubles the normal 650mm working width to achieve compatibility with the larger plate formats available from Krause's XXL models, including its third new platesetter, the LS Asia.

Krause said it has field-tested and upgraded the prototype Smart'n'Easy entry-level computer-to-plate system, which it now calls an integrated and flexible solution for PDF input through punched plate output.

In software, Krause added functionality to its JetNet workflow automation. The new InkAdjust module enables color conversion for ink savings. With the PressProof module, a color proof can be integrated as a softproof at the press-control center, eliminating time-consuming hard-copy output.