It’s been over a decade since the market shifted towards computer-to-plate (CTP) technology and, as a result, thermal imaging has grown considerably. Swiss manufacturer Lüscher spotted a gap in the market for large-format thermal. It aimed to fill this with its XPose! series of CTP devices.

In 1998, Lüscher launched XPose! to the masses at the Imprinta exhibition in Dusseldorf. Two years later, the series was made commercially available, with five sizes ranging from the XPose! 75 to the larger 190.

“It was a new product for Lüscher and an evolution from its step-and-repeat machines, which had been very successful,” says Ben Hartman, general manager, pre-press and consumables at Ferrostaal.

According to Hartman, the strength of the XPose! series lay in its accuracy in imaging. It could handle a wider range of plate sizes, combined with a very precise in-line punch. This was because the machine was based on both internal and external drum technology.

Problem solved
“Our goal was to avoid the problem of vibration and dynamic balancing issues associated with spinning a plate on a drum,” says Hartman. “We also wanted to avoid any complicated plate mounting and other inefficient manual steps.”

It incorporated an internal drum to hold the plate and an external drum to hold the optics. So the plate is held, punched and imaged without it moving.

“External drum technology enabled XPose! to achieve high productivity through multiple sets of lasers, optimising the laser power at the plate’s surface. Internal drum technology allowed XPose! the benefit of a plate that is static during imaging, with no requirement for dynamic balancing, no vibration and a consistent duty cycle regardless of plate dimensions,” says Hartman.

The 160 was well suited for web printers with a choice of up to 128 lasers available. Optional extras included inline punching and dual plate loading.

“With low print runs becoming a bigger factor, makeready accuracy was important. The larger version of the 160, the 190, has been dominant in the point-of-sale print sector,” says Hartman. There have been more than 1,400 worldwide installations of the XPose! series.

There were three generations of laser optics for the XPose! 160 – the LM1, LM2 and LM3. Each delivered greater speed and performance than the previous incarnation, with the LM3
optics supporting up to 128 lasers simultaneously.

Tech evolution
In 2007, the XPose! 260, the successor to the 160, was launched. While it had the same basic internal and external drum architecture, it allowed a customer to choose either thermal lasers or opt for UV diodes, allowing the exposure of conventional plates.

“Since then, over 95% of machines sold incorporated UV diodes,” says Hartman.

The 160 is no longer in production, but secondhand models are occasionally available direct from Lüscher. “They are popular machines worldwide due to ease of serviceability,” says Hartman.
While LM3 versions of XPose! are upgradable to incorporate UV diodes, Hartman says it is not cost-effective to do this for older models.

Lüscher supports its customers worldwide through direct presence and a network of qualified distributors. In Australia and New Zealand, Ferrostaal is the partner of choice with factory-trained engineers.

In most cases, Ferrostaal is also able to offer a maintenance contract on machines it has inspected or refurbished.

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