Agfa’s ThermoFuse Technology in Use at More Than 50 Printers Throughout Canada.

Agfa Graphics today announced that its chemistry-free :Azura and low-chemistry :Amigo CtP plates, driven by advanced ThermoFuse™ technology, are now being used by more than 50 printers in over 30 Canadian cities. Offering consistency in platemaking, ThermoFuse-based plates continue to win over printers and their clients throughout Canada.


Seeking more ecologically sensitive solutions, more printers in Canada are turning to :Azura and :Amigo plates because, unlike some competitive systems, they require very little maintenance, produce a latent image, and present no issues on press.
“We had our chem-free :Azura processor and :Avalon platesetter installed over a year ago, and any memories of our old stripping and plate-burning methods now seem like a bad dream. Our prepress department is so much more inviting without the burning smell of chemicals, such as fixer and developer, clinging to us,” said Kim Fraser, prepress manager at Merit Printing, Ltd. in Regina, Saskatchewan. “While the speed and ease of use are great, knowing that we’re doing our part to make our shop a little ’greener’ is even better.”

“By going with the :Amigo plate, our chemistry usage went down by 70 percent. We used to recycle 40 jugs per month, but now we’re down to just 12,” said Sylvain Shank, prepress manager at Litho Mille Iles in Terrebonne, Quebec. “We do between 5,800 and 6,400 plates per month, and with the :Amigo plate our processor maintenance schedule was reduced by more than two-thirds over our previous system.” “More printers in Canada are recognizing the significant benefits of Agfa’s ThermoFuse technology, which is changing the face of CtP. Its ability to eliminate processing variables-and with :Azura to eliminate the use of chemistry-is an advance that many printers in Canada have already experienced, and many more are switching to,” said Jack Baraczek, director of Agfa Graphics, Canada. “Our ThermoFuse plates are more ecologically sensitive than traditional digital plates, plus they improve quality and consistency resulting in a great image time-and-time again.”

:Azura plates are specially designed for low- to medium-volume printing, and :Amigo is well suited for higher run-lengths and VLF printing. Both are daylight working thermal plates that bring maximum convenience and reliability to the platemaking process. Heat from an infrared laser melts together ultra-fine thermoplastic pearls. This bonds them to the plate’s aluminum substrate, creating the image and, with :Azura, eliminating the need for a chemical process to develop the image on the plate, as in conventional CtP processing. The thermoplastic pearls are chemically inert.