Kodak has launched the Sonora X process-free plate – the latest addition to its Sonora range – that it believes can address almost all litho printing applications from carton printing to newspapers.
"Sonora X will transform this industry," says Kodak CEO Jeff Clarke (pictured).
The new Sonora X plates are said to be able to handle up to six times longer press runs than the current Sonora XP plates, and Kodak says 80 percent of litho jobs can be printed on the new Sonora X.
With longer run length, faster imaging, and more robust handling capabilities than other process free plates, Sonora X Plates can be used for nearly any application that is typically printed with an unbaked processed plate. Kodak estimates that up to 80% of the offset print market will now be able to go process free, including large commercial sheetfed printers, heatset and coldset web printers, offset packaging printers, and printers using UV and low-energy UV. In addition, the new SONORA X-N Process Free Plate extends the technology to medium and large newspaper printers.
SONORA X Plates can print two to six times longer than KODAK SONORA XP Plates, depending on application, and improved exposure sensitivity ensures that printers can maximize platemaking throughput on even the fastest platesetters on the market. A proprietary enhanced anodizing and coating technology increases the robustness of the plate, so it can withstand highly automated or fast-paced operating environments, where plate durability is crucial.
“Kodak’s goal is to make printing more sustainable and to make it profitable for all printers by eliminating processing and chemicals from platemaking,” said Brad Kruchten, president, Print Systems Division, Kodak. “Sonora X delivers a breakthrough for process free technology. The dramatic improvements to run length and handling enable the market fit for process free to expand to up to 80% of the market, thus making Sonora X truly mainstream.”
The Sonora X is expected to be on the market by the second quarter of this year.