Murray Pioneer dries out with new chemistry-free plate

South Australian newspaper pioneers water-saving with installation of new Agfa N92-VCF chemistry-free plate technology.

The Murray Pioneer recently made the decision to upgrade its existing Agfa CTP system, opting for chemistry-free instead. According to Ben Taylor, managing director of The Murray Pioneer, the decision to upgrade to N92-VCF was based on the need to preserve natural resources.

“We’re in the middle of a drought and located in a region that relies heavily on irrigation,” he said. “Water restrictions are top of mind in this region.”

With a simple upgrade, the existing VPP68 processors were modified to function as 'clean-out-units' eliminating the need for investment in new equipment. With the modifications complete, the processors now run in a closed-loop setup without the need for any plumbing or drainage for waste. The only water required is for rinsing of the rollers when the gum is renewed. This move to chemistry-free means no more developer and replenisher are required and instead, a simple wash-out gum (VCF Gum) is used.

Steve Marshall, Agfa's newspaper manager, Oceania, said that cost reductions are achieved by the reduction in water usage, reduced waste disposal and the purchase of one solution, VCF Gum.

“With :N92-VCF, the newspaper industry can now significantly reduce their costs. Beyond the savings and environmental benefits, violet chemistry free (VCF) offers a far more consistent plate by removing all the processing variables of plate-making,” he said.

“The :N92-VCF plates produce an exceptionally strong image contrast and there's absolutely no on-press contamination."