A computer-to-screen (CTS) and computer-to-plate (CTP) specialist has teamed up with John Potter to develop a new laser CTS system for garment printers.
Called the Screen! Cube and shown for the first time at Fespa earlier this week, it was created after John of 3JP Consulting, and founder of printing equipment supplier MHM Direct GB, approached Swiss company Lüscher Technologies about developing a laser-to-screen system. Lüscher is known for developing the CTP systems that are used in the production of 85% of the world’s banknotes.
Unlike most laser-to-screen units, which have a series of laser on a bar that travels left and right on a X-axis, John explained, this machine uses lasers that are connected by fibre optics into a single lens, and so is extremely accurate. The lasers have a life span of 20,000 imaging hours.
It uses no consumables (including print heads), is virtually maintenance-free – the lens needs wiping occasionally – and unlike those that use DMD chips, needs no cooling system.
It offers a resolution of 1,270dpi and is modular, meaning printers can add more laser diode units as their production levels increase, boosting the speed at which the screens are created from around four minutes to two minutes with a maximum 128 lasers (there are 16 laser diodes in each module).
It works with all emulsions and the usual step test can be carried out to establish the power needed for each emulsion (rather than time taken), with the profile then being stored in the system.
The Screen! Cube is compatible with any pre-reg system, including the MHM pin system and the tri-loc systems used with M&R and Roq.
It will be available soon through MHM Direct GB and other dealers worldwide, and is being marketed in the UK by 3JP Consulting. According to John, a number of UK-based printers placed orders for the Screen! Cube at Fespa.
