Xanté P24 Plate Processor User guide

Brand: Xanté

Model: P24 Plate Processor

Type: User guide

Xanté P24 Plate Processor is a professional-grade device designed to process lithographic printing plates. It features precise temperature control, adjustable brush pressure, and customizable processing parameters, ensuring high-quality plate output for offset printing. With its user-friendly control panel, the Xanté P24 simplifies the plate processing workflow, allowing users to set and monitor various processing parameters with ease.

User’s Guide

PlateRunner P24

Manual Notice

Xanté Corporation

reserves the right to make

changes to this manual and to the equipment

described herein without notice. Every effort

has been made to ensure that this manual is

free of inaccuracies and omissions. However,

Xanté Corporation

makes no warranty of any

kind including, but not limited to, any implied

warranties of merchantability and ﬁ tness for a

particular purpose with regard to this manual.

Xanté Corporation

assumes no responsibility for,

or liability for, errors contained in this manual or

for incidental, special, or consequential damages

arising out of the furnishing of this manual, or the

use of this manual in operating the equipment,

or in connection with the performance of the

equipment when so operated.

Xanté

Corporation

USA. This manual may not be copied in whole

or in part, nor transferred to any other media or

language without the express written permission

Xanté Corporation

Power Information

220/240 V Version:220/240 VAC (198-264 V),

50/60 Hz (47-63 Hz), 3.2 A

Power Cord

The power cord is the main disconnect device. It

should be plugged into an easily accessible outlet.

For 230 Volt Conﬁ guration

The power cord to be used with 230 Volt

conﬁ guration is minimum type SJT (SVT) 18/3,

rated 250 Volts ac, 10 Amps with a maximum

length of 15 feet. One terminated in an IEC 320

attachment plug. The other end is terminated as

required by the country where it will be installed.

Manufacturer’s Declaration of Conformity

The Product has been designed and manufactured in

accordance with the following international standards:

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the equipment

speciﬁ ed above conforms to the above Directives and

Standards

Robert C Ross

Xanté Corporation Founder and CEO

Contents

Chapter

Introduction and Installation

Installation Requirements

Turning the PlateRunner On

Start Up

Chapter 2:

Control Panel

Accessing the Controls

Setting the Plate Counter

Activating the Heaters

Resetting the System 1

Accessing the Functions 1

Pre-Heat Parameters 1

Setting Pre-Heat Temperature 1

Setting Timing 1

Developer Parameters 1

Setting

Developer Temperature 1

Setting

Developer

Replenishment 1

Manually Replenishing Developer 1

Gum-Dryer Parameters 1

Setting

Gum Volume 1

Setting

Gum Dryer

Temperature 1

Gum Dryer Temperature 1Gum Dryer

Manually Adding Gum 1

Speed Parameters 1

Setting

Developer Time 1

Setting

Pre-wash Brush Speed 1

Setting

Developer

Brush Speed 1

Developer Brush Speed 1Developer

Standby Parameters 1

Setting Standby 1

Setting Standby Developer Volume 1

Setting

Standby Develop

er Timing 1

Standby

Gum

Timing 1

Selecting Plate Type 1

Standby

Plate Type Parameters 1

Processing a Plate 2

Nominal Operating Values 2

Chapter 3:

Setting Brush Pressure 2

Setting

the Pre-wash Brush 2

Setting

the Developer Brush 2

Chapter 4:

Setting Gum Quantity 2

Chapter 5:

Basic Maintenance 2

Maintenance 2

Daily

Maintenance 2

Weekly

Maintenance 2

Month

Maintenance 2

Periodic

Maintenance 2

Cleaning the Roll

ers 3

Removing the Brushes 3

Replac

ing the Filter 3

Changing Developer

Replacing a Fuse

Chapter 6:

Troubleshooting 3

PlateRunner Speciﬁ cations 3

“Why isn’t the processor brush turning?” 3

“Why is the developer pH too low?” 3

“Why is the developer level falling below the drain slots?”

“Why are the plates underdeveloped?” 3

“Why is there no image?” 3

“Why is there emulsion on the unimaged areas?” 3

“Why do the dots appear scrubbed?” 3

“Why aren’t the plates cleaned in the pre-wash section?”

“Why isn’t the gum drying after processing?” 3

“Why isn’t the gum evenly applied?” 3

“Why does the wastewater level rise in the tanks?”

“Why isn’t my plate coming out?” 3

“Why aren’t the plates going through in a straight line?” 3

“Why doesn’t “Ready” replace “Waiting for Temp” on the

Status Display?” 3

“Why are the plates light struck?” 3

“Why can’t I get the developer residue off?” 3

Chapter 1

Introduction and Installation

Installation Requirements

1. Electrical Requirements: Connect the processor to

the main power line using a ﬂ ame-resistant cable

with a core not lower than 2.5mm, and interpose an

interlocked outlet for 230 volts.

2. Plumbing Requirements: Water supply with a ﬂ ow

rate of 13.2 liters (3.5 gallons)/minute or more at 20

PSI.

3. Draining Requirements: Drain located within 1.2

meters (4 feet) and no more than 15.2 centimeters (6

inches) from the ﬂ oor or at least 61 centimeters (24

inches) below the processor.

4. Environmental Requirements: Operating temperature

between 18 - 23 degrees C or 65 - 78 degrees F with

safe and proper lighting.

5. Chemical Requirements:

Xante Product: Part Number:

Harmony

Violet CTP Developer 200-300047

Harmony

Violet CTP Replenisher 200-300048

Harmony

Litho Processor 200-300049

Harmony

Litho CTP Gum 200-300050

Turning the PlateRunner On

When ﬁ lling the tank with the recommended

developer, use a container, siphon hose, or funnel that

allows you to pour the chemicals in the correct tank.

Avoid splashing developer on the mechanical and

electrical components. Clean up any spilled developer

immediately.

Some developing ﬂ uids foam easily, pour them

carefully to avoid excessive foaming.

Wear protective glasses and gloves.

1. Check that the Developer Tank Drain Valve is shut

off and the handle is horizontal. Then pour 15 liters of

developer into the Developer Tank.

2. Connect the PlateRunner to the electrical service and

turn it on (the red power switch pointing to “1”).

3. Raise the Top Cover and set the Main Cover Switch in

Service Mode

4. Turn on the water supply.

5. Wait until the processor is Ready.

6. Activate a processing cycle by holding a plate over the

Input Detector for ﬁ ve seconds.

7. When a processing cycle starts, wait a few seconds

for the water to ﬂ ow out of the spray bars. Observe

the direction and strength of the Pre-wash and Rinse

spray.

The Pre-wash sprays are directed on the brush.

The Rinse spray is directed onto the front respective

roller. The inside top surface of the roller should

be wet, but not ﬂ owing over the top of the roller.

Directing it down into the tank will reduce the time

that the plate is rinsed, and may cause foaming.

8. Adjust the ﬂ ow rate using the water supply valve on

the hose. The jets should be even along the bar and of

moderate force. While the water is running, look into

the tanks and make sure that they are draining.

9. Look at the Developer Tank and locate the two

depressed drain slots located at the top of the tank

front wall. These serve to drain excess developer ﬂ uid.

For proper operation, an equal amount of developer

waste must drain from both the right and left slots.

10. Add developer so that it reaches and trickles through

the drain slots.

11. Observing the two drain slots, adjust the right and left

pairs of the PlateRunner’s legs until the developer

drains equally from each slot. When adjusting the left

side, turn both left feet an equal number of turns in

the same direction. Similarly, when adjusting the right

feet, turn both right feet an equal number of turns.

12. Make sure all the feet are in contact with the ﬂ oor and

the processor cannot be rocked.

13. Verify the drain is free and clear and that no efﬂ uent is

escaping.

14. Check that the ﬁ lter housing is ﬁ rmly seated.

15. Check all the ﬁ ttings, tanks, and seals for leaks.

16. Lower the Top Cover.

Start Up

The main power switch is located at the front below the

Input Tray. The main switch activates all the sections

of the PlateRunner Processor: the feed system, heaters,

recirculation pumps, dryer, display, brush, etc. After a few

seconds, the Status Window will appear in the display,

indicating the status of the different sections of the

Processor.

Turn on the water supply.

To verify the temperature is set correctly, attach one

temperature strip on the back

of the plate

temperature strip on the back of the plate temperature strip on the back

near each

corner , and one temperature strip near the center of the

plate. Process it as normal and check the temperature

strips afterward to verify it is operating at the correct

temperature.

◊◊◊

Status Display

The Status Display shows the temperature of the Preheat

Sections (Pre1 and Pre 2), Developer Temperature Section

(dev), and the Development Time. The number in the

upper left corner shows what plate type the system is set

up for.

The value displayed will be close to the set points. If the

temperatures are not close enough to the values set, the

“Ready” line will be replaced with “Waiting for temp.”

ait for “Ready” to appear.

Wait for “Ready” to appear.W

Chapter 2

Control Panel

Description of Control Panel Keys

The four keys below the display are used to set the

PlateRunner Functions. These are illustrated and described

below.

MENU KEY Opens the main menu.

When in the Menu Tree, it brings up the previous

menu.

UP KEY Changes item selected on the

menu shown by the cursor and increases the selected

value. When pressed prior to any other key it brings

up the Plate Type menu.

DOWN KEY Changes item selected

on the menu shown by the cursor and decreases the

selected value. When pressed prior to any other key it

selects the Standby Parameters menu.

ENTER KEY Conﬁ rms the parameter

or value selected. If pressed before any other key, it

opens the Controls Menu.

Using the control keys takes the operator to the various

menus where the parameters can be controlled. Thinking

of the menu as a horizontal tree extending to the right, the

ENTER key steps to the right through the menu options

and the MENU key retraces those steps.

In describing the menu options, and how to select and set

values, the description is accompanied by an illustration.

In each case the starting display is on the left, the action

taken is in the middle, and the resulting display in on the

right.

Accessing the Controls

Pressing the far right ENTER key accesses the Plate

Counter, Heater Control, and System Reset.

The left panel labeled DISPLAY is the starting menu, the

middle panel labeled KEY speciﬁ es which key to press,

and the resulting display is on the right.

Setting the Plate Counter

With the cursor pointing to Counter, press the ENTER

to bring up the Plate Counter Menu. The number shown

is the number of plates processed since the counter was

reset. The count can be reset to zero by pressing ENTER.

Activating the Heaters

The heaters can be turned on and off. There are two

pre-heat panels, Pre-heat 1 and Pre-heat 2, the Developer

Heater, and the Dryer for the gum station. Move the cursor

to On/Off Heaters using DOWN. Select that heater with

ENTER.

The cursor before PRE-HEAT shows which heater is

active. Pressing the ENTER KEY will toggle that heater

ON and OFF.

The DOWN and UP keys move the pointer to the desired

heater.

To turn the Developer Heater on, press the DOWN

key twice which moves the cursor down two lines to

Developer.

Pressing the ENTER key will now toggle that function on.

A similar sequence will turn the other functions on and

off.

Resetting the System

When a plate is placed on the Input Tray, and detected by

the Input Detector for more than ﬁ ve seconds, a sequence

of events is initiated. The system comes out of standby

and starts the operational sequences required to process

the plate.

If it is necessary to reset the system before the cycle

is completed, the operator may do so from the Control

Menu. A reset is only accepted once the plate is past the

Pre-heat Section.

Select Reset by moving the cursor to it and press the

ENTER key. After Resetting, the Display will brieﬂ y show

“Complete”. If the plate is in the Pre-heat Section, and

the Reset is not accepted, an Error message will brieﬂ y be

displayed.

Accessing the Functions

The four groups of parameters to access and set are found

on the Function Menu. They are reached through the

PRE-HEAT, DEVELOPER, GUM-DRYER, and SPEED

PROGRAMS menus.

To reach them from the Status Display press MENU.

The rest of this section will describe how to access and set

the processor parameters.

Pre-Heat Parameters

Two independent heaters are used to complete the plate

exposure by uniformly preheating the imaged plate.

The two heaters are independently controlled and their

temperature setting are accessed from the Main Menu by

placing the pointer on PREHEAT and pressing MENU.

As these are controlling the temperature of the heaters,

the values used will be higher than those desired for the

plates.

Setting Pre-Heat Temperature

Pressing ENTER when the cursor is at PRE-HEAT

accesses the functions Pre-heat 1, Pre-heat 2, and Timing.

Using UP and DOWN, place the pointer on the desired

Pre-heat Panel. Pre-heat 1 is shown as an example, and

select with ENTER.

To deliver more heat to the plate, adjust the temperature

setting, in Centigrade; using DOWN reduces the heat.

Press ENTER to enter the value.

To return to the previous menu, PRE-HEAT, press

MENU.

NOTE: Pressing MENU repeatedly will retrace your

steps back through the Menu Tree until the Status

Display is reached.

A similar process is used to set the temperature for the

other heater. A nominal setting for Preheat One is 208

degrees Centigrade (C) and 200 C for Preheat Two.

Chemical settings will change based on the chemicals and

plates being used.

Setting Timing

To assure an even temperature along the plate as well

as across, the heater panel temperatures are modiﬁ ed as

the plate progress through. The temperature proﬁ le is

controlled by a few parameters set at the factory.

NOTE: Only adjust these settings when directed to by

your service representative.

To access them from the PRE-HEAT Menu, below, scroll

the pointer down to Timing and select with ENTER to

bring up the Timing Menu.

Although called the Timing Menu, the values use both

time and plate length. This assures that as different plate

sizes and developing times are used, the heating proﬁ le

delivered to the plate will remain constant.

Delay is the delay from when the Input Detector senses

the plate until the control algorithm starts to cycle the

heaters. The heating cycle operates as the plate is passing

through the Pre-heat Section, Active Length. Inactive

is how long the heater is off and Active is how long the

cycle operates.

The four algorithm windows are shown below. Access

each from the Timing Menu by scrolling the cursor

(asterisk), using UP and DOWN, and selecting with

ENTER.

Again only change these at the direction of your service

representative.

The values in each menu are changed using UP and

DOWN.

Use MENU to return to the previous display.

Developer Parameters

To assure optimum processing, the developer temperature

is maintained at the manufacturers recommended value.

As each plate processed reduces developer strength

and removes a small amount of ﬂ uid, the developer is

automatically replenished. The amount of developer added

each time a plate enters is speciﬁ ed in milliliters.

To access these parameters, set the pointer to

DEVELOPER on the Function Menu and select with

ENTER.

Setting Developer Temperature

Selecting “Developer Temp.” with ENTER brings up the

following display. The desired temperature value is set

with UP and DOWN. The plate manufacturer speciﬁ es the

exact value set.

The PlateRunner’s Developer Heating System will

automatically heat the developer to that temperature.

If the developer temperature is above the desired value

due to a hot environment, the optional Chiller may be

required. It one of these options has been installed, the

temperature will be heated or cooled to maintain the set

value.

Setting Developer Replenishment

Returning to the previous menu, set the pointer to Auto

Replenish to access the amount of developer that is

replenished when a plate enters.

As the amount required depends upon plate size, use UP

and DOWN to set the value in milliliters per plate. If you

do not know what that number is see the EXAMPLE.

It is very important that the developing tank remains full

during use, and that a small amount runs over the two

waste slots and into the waste receptacle. If this does not

happen as a series of plates are processed, increase the

dose until developing solution consistently trickles over.

EXAMPLE:

The plate manufacture’s replenishment recommendations

will likely be in milliliters per square foot (ml/ft2)

or square meter of plate (ml/m2). The PlateRunner

replenishment rate is set in units of milliliters per plate

processed.

To get the number for your plate, your average plate area

must be multiplied with the manufacture’s recommended

replenishment dosage rate. For example, if your plate

area, found by multiplying the plate dimensions, is 0.5

meters, and the recommended dosage rate is 10 milliliters

per square meter, you would set the volume to 5 ml in the

menu above.

Manually Replenishing Developer

When the developer level is low, it can to be added

from the control panel. From the Developer Menu select

Manual Replenish.

Operate the pump using UP. It will continue to operate

while UP is pressed. With the cover raised, look at

the processor slots to determine when the developer is

trickling over them.

Gum-Dryer Parameters

Gum is applied to each plate as it passes through the

rear section of the processor. After the gum station the

plate passes beneath the Dryer where heat is used to

dry the gum. The time that gum is applied and the dryer

temperature are set from the control panel.

To access these parameters from the Function Menu set

the pointer to GUM-DRYER and select with ENTER.

Also located on this menu is a manual feed function for

applying gum.

Setting Gum Volume

Set the pointer to Gum Dose, and press ENTER to

access the Gum Application Menu where the Gum Pump

operation duration is set. As the in-line valve limits the

pump ﬂ ow rate, the time set needs to be determined by

experimentation.

Set the value using UP and DOWN.

Setting Gum Dryer Temperature

After being gummed, the plate is dried with a heating

lamp. The temperature of the dryer is set by placing the

pointer on Dryer Temperature and selecting with ENTER.

Set the value using UP and DOWN, select with ENTER,

and return with MENU.

Manually Adding Gum

Set the pointer to Manual Replenish, and using ENTER,

bring up the Manual Gum Menu. Pressing UP manually

adds gum while the key is depressed.

Speed Parameters

The development time and rotational speeds of the Pre-

wash and Developer brushes are set from the SPEED

menu.

To access these parameters on the Function Menu, set the

pointer to SPEED and select with ENTER.

Setting Developer Time

The development time is a function of the transport speed

and length of the developer bath. Length of the developer

bath is kept constant by paying attention to processing

leveling at installation, and developer level daily.

To set the time of development, place the pointer on

Development Time and use ENTER.

Use UP and Down to set the development time to the

manufacturers recommended time for the developer

temperature set. Return using the MENU key.

Setting Pre-wash Brush Speed

The rotational speed of the Pre-wash Brush is set for

optimal processing. To change the speed, place the cursor

on Pre-wash Brush and press ENTER. The values entered

are a percentage of the maximum speed.

The value is adjusted with UP and DOWN.

If some protective coating adheres to the plate after

brushing, increase the speed. Refer to Chapter 6 for

Troubleshooting tips.

Setting Developer Brush Speed

The rotational speed of the Developer Brush assembly is

set for optimal processing. To change the speed, place the

cursor on Developer Brush and press ENTER. The values

entered are a percentage of the maximum speed.

The value is adjusted with UP and DOWN.

Again, if some unexposed emulsion remains on the

plate after brushing,

increasing the speed in some cases

can resolve the issue.

Refer to Chapter 6 for more

Troubleshooting tips

Standby Parameters

To assure optimal processor performance the PlateRunner

enters a standby mode when no plates are being processed.

During the standby mode the rollers turn slowly, the

developer brush turn intermittently, the developer pump

continues to run and the developer is periodically added.

The values for when the PlateRunner enters Standby,

the amount and frequency of developer addition, can be

changed.

The Standby Menu is reached from the Status Menu by

pressing DOWN.

Setting Standby

A length is used

A length is used tA length is used

o program when you want the processor

to go into standby mode. The processor is approximately

1,500 millimeters long. As you want the processor to go

into standby just after the plate exits, set the value to 1550

mm.

On the Standby Menu, place the cursor on Processor

Length and press ENTER.

Use UP and DOWN to change the value, and ENTER to

accept it. If you will be feeding it plates frequently and do

not want it to go into standby, set the value higher. Press

MENU to return to the previous screen.

Setting Standby Developer Volume

The amount of developer added during a standby

replenishment is set from the Standby Volume Menu.

Place the cursor before it and ENTER.

The amount speciﬁ ed is dependent on the plate

manufacturer’s recomendations, machine usage and

environmental conditions. For example, in a hot dry

setting, the evaporation is far greater than that experienced

in cold and wet climate. Determine the amount based on

your observed usage and how much ﬂ uid must be added

each morning.

The criteria used in setting this, and Developer Timing, is

that the developer must trickle evenly over the two drain

slots.

Setting Standby Developer Timing

Frequency of developer addition during standby is set

from the Standby Interval Menu.

Again, the frequency is dependent on the climate so use

both replenishment timing and volume to ﬁ nd the correct

balance for long-term use of the developer. The correct

amount is determined by monitoring the pH and level of

the developer bath. As the seasons change, the values will

also change.

Use UP and DOWN to enter the desired value.

Standby Gum Timing

When the plate enters the processor, gum is applied to

the rollers. As it requires a short time to reach an optimal

spread and thickness on the plate, the timing of the Gum

Dose can be adjusted. If the dose appears to be applied too

soon, the point at which it occurs can be set further into

the machine.

A setting of zero millimeters (0.0 mm) the gum would be

applied as the plate’s leading edge enters the PlateRunner,

a higher value will apply gum after the plate has entered

the machine and it has moved closer the Gum Section.

Set the pointer to Gum Delay and bring up the Gum Delay

Menu with ENTER.

In this example, a value that is closer to the Gum Roller

has been entered. Again, this has to be determined by trial

and error and is dependent on the Gum Dose settings.

Selecting Plate Type

The processing parameters can be set for two plate

thicknesses. For instance, you may process both 6 and 8

mm plates, plate type 01 and 02.

Press ENTER to access the Plate Type.

To change the plate type from 01 to 02, use UP.

Similarly, to change the plate type from 02 to 01, use

DOWN.

Make sure that the plate type, 1 or 2, displayed on

the Status Menu matches the plate type that is being

processed.

Standby Plate Type Parameters

The default plate type is 01. All the parameters that have

been entered when a 1 was displayed on the Status menu

are used when a plate is processed.

To enter the parameters for a second plate type, use UP to

select 02, two.

Now return to the Status Menu and set all the processing

parameters described above to those recommended by the

plate manufacturer.

Whenever plate type 02 is selected, it will appear on the

Status Display and the parameters entered for 02 will be

used in processing the plate.

Processing a Plate

You are now ready to process a plate. Look at the Control

Panel and observe that the PlateRunner is in a ready state,

“Ready” on the Status Display, and that all the speciﬁ ed

parameters for your plate type are correctly entered.

Place a plate on the Input Tray emulsion side up.

Center it and gently push it into the rollers. When the

Input Detector is covered for ﬁ ve seconds, or more, the

processing cycle will start. The plate will be drawn into

the PlateRunner and will emerge at the rear ready for

printing.

If the plate is shorter than 38 cm (15 inches) rotate it until

the diagonal length is 38 cm (15 inches) to assure that it

will bridge the gap between the transport rollers.

When a plate is detected a hyphen, –, is added to the right

of PlateRunner P20/24 and Ready disappears.

This shows that a plate is in the Pre-heat Section and

another plate should not be submitted. Shortly before the

system is ready to accept another plate, when all the plate

is in the Pre-heat Section, ‘Ready’ will appear to indicate

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Xanté P24 Plate Processor User guide

Xanté P24 Plate Processor User guide

Xanté P24 Plate Processor User guide

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