PlateIQ, a new suite of flexo plate inspection features, has been launched by MicroDynamics alongside its Veritas inspection system.
The features are available immediately for all Veritas/MicroScan3 systems from the company, with no additional equipment or software required. Among the benefits, according to MicroDynamics, are precision 3D measurement and visualisation of microscopic plate surface characteristics; the ability to quantify plate surface structures, including micro-textures, screening patterns, depth and volume; the ability for printers to identify plate surface variations and potential defects before they impact print quality; provision of quantitative data for plate manufacturers and screening developers to evaluate and optimise plate technologies; and better quality control and collaboration between printers, converters, and plate suppliers through objective measurement data.
The ability to precisely measure and control plate surfaces in production environments remains a challenge, but PlateIQ addresses this need through utilising white-light interferometry, a high-precision measurement technology traditionally associated with laboratory instruments, in a portable, pressroom-ready system, said MicroDynamics.
“If something has a massive impact on the print process and will determine whether your colour will pass or fail, we should have a way to measure it,” said Brent Zurcher, the manufacturer’s director of operations.
“At MicroDynamics, we believe innovation is about continuing to develop tools and technologies in anticipation of where the industry is heading next. We saw that precision measurement is needed beyond the anilox, especially as plate technologies have evolved in recent years. We engineered PlateIQ to bring the precision, quality and usability of MicroDynamics’ systems to meet the inspection needs of this segment too.”
