Eastern Studios installs the 1st Agfa VLF

CTP for large offset presses is now a reality for packaging printers as leading Melbourne prepress supplier graduates to outputting full size plates at the required .5 thickness.


“Most of the large presses, especially the older ones, use the thicker plates. Our clients have been waiting on us to finalize the VLF installation because they already know the benefits of CTP from our Agfa Galileo,” explains Debra Rice, proprietor of Eastern Studios, Melbourne (pictured right).

She says that this week’s installation of the Agfa Xcalibur VLF makes Eastern Studios the only Melbourne prepress house that can supply CTP plates to the packaging industry in their required format. “The big presses can’t use the thinner plates, the point three thickness, that we output on the Agfa Galileo. Our customers really need the size six plates.”

The first Agfa VLF in the country will see an end to the film output of full size plates for most of Eastern Studios customers. It will deliver the advantages of lower proofing costs and the elimination of film that are already enjoyed in the smaller size. Already the first plates are being tested at Wadepack, with the company’s other blue chip packaging clients, which include Cadbury and Carter Holt Harvey, to follow.

“You have to hand it to Agfa, they have worked extremely hard to make this product so reliable,” said Debra. “We have never had any problems with the Galileo, it's been a consistently reliable machine from the first day."

Part of the benefit of CTP is the ease of start up and the elimination of waste. Debra points out that packaging printers are often working with sheets that cost almost $2 each, so the ability of CTP to deliver accurate registration cuts start up waste dramatically.

“Our customers already know the benefits. They have cut the set-up time on their smaller presses to less than half with CTP, so they are keen to move to a complete digital workflow,” she said.


According to Garry Muratore (right) marketing manager graphics, Agfa Asia Pacific, the Xcalibur offers a different level of perferformance and automation to the industry.
"The Xcalibur VLF allows customers take advantage of the automation features that Agfa uses right across its CTP range. For a long time now we (Agfa) have offered a range of automation options on four-up and eight-up devives such as the Paladio and Galileo.

"We noticed that the competitive offering in the VLF market were basically manual devices, while with the Xcalibur VLF even the basic model offers a high degree of automation making it the fastest and most productive unti currently available"

Xcalibur is king


Agfa Xcalibur VLF brings smart technology to bear on the challenges of large format platesetting. Its elegant, simple external drum design include many innovation designed to make VLF platesetting faster, easier, and more accurate.
Xcalibur VLF features a small footprint design that looks great and enables operators to work very efficiently. It’s designed to fit seamlessly into the prepress environment.

Loading CLF plates is a major challenge, since the plates are large and can be difficult to handle. Agfa Xcalibur VLF uses an ergonomic, semi-automatic staging and loading solution that makes life easier for the operators while ensuring fast, accurate registration of the plate.

With Agfa Xcalibur, it’s easy to load even the largest VLF plates—and switching plate sizes takes no operator intervention. With the semiautomatic solution, operators can pre-load a “over and under design” is greater flexibility and productivity. Plus, it enables Xcalibur VLF to have a small footprint compared to other VLF output devices.

A reliable modular laser
Agfa Xcalibur VLF uses banks of extremely reliable 830 nm solid state lasers to image Thermostar plates. Each individual laser is connected to the lens system by an individual fiber.
These lasers are extremely stable, and require very little calibration. They are chosen for their long life, ensuring a high mean time between failure. Thanks to the modular design of the Xcalibur VLF imaging system, lasers can be removed in banks and replaced if necessary.

High quality
The Xcalibur VLF laser provides a beam size and shape that provides superb image quality. Combined with the high resolution of the Thermostar P970 plate, Agfa Xcalibur VLF provides the quality you need to meet even the most stringent requirements.

High throughput
Agfa Xcalibur VLF provides the high throughput that today’s printing operations need to stay competitive. In short, Agfa Xcalibur VLF provides exceptional throughput via a combination of fast imaging speeds and efficient plate handling. Plus, you can choose the level of throughput and automation you need to keep your presses busy.

A flexible approach
Agfa Xcalibur VLF integrates smoothly into your existing prepress environment, enabling a seamless fit with the way you work today.
Agfa Xcalibur VLF is 100 percent compatible with Agfa’s standard Apogee workflow, with an Operator Control Terminal controlling the system and PrintDrive Output Manager sending it jobs. Agfa Xcalibur VLF supports input from Agfa’s Apogee. But it also accepts input from other front-end systems, including Rampage, Harlequin, Prinergy, PCC/Artwork Systems, and others.