Sun Chemical's Sun Graphics division selects Barco's Gigasetter

Ink World, March, 2002

Sun Chemical Ink (GPI) has purchased of a Barco Gigasetter -- the largest-format imagesetter available and the only one for packaging applications on the West Coast -- to be installed at Sun Graphics' operations in Concord, CA.

Sun Graphics, a division of Sun Chemical Ink (GPI) with facilities in Concord and Maumee, OH, offers packaging design services and produces finished flexo photopolymer printing plates. Sun Graphics will use this equipment to expand its large-format film output capabilities to better serve its paper packaging and other customers.

When used in conjunction with its large-format platemaking system, the new Gigasetter will allow Sun Graphics to use a single set of films to produce flexo plates for printing of large boxes used for computers, electronics and other industrial markets.

In addition, Sun Graphics plans to produce plates for large process color point-of-purchase displays used for retail promotions and films for other prepress applications requiring extra large formats.

"In our market for packaging and displays, the demand for increased film size and quality has grown," said Chris Morrissey, vice president, sales and marketing, Sun Chemical (GPI). "After looking at all the large format equipment available to us, we determined that Barco's Gigasetter was exactly what we needed."

The Barco Gigasetter is a high-quality imagesetter for extremely large film sizes up to 96.5 x 63.5 inches (2450 x 1612 mm). The Gigasetter sets the standard in large size printing processes for corrugated packaging, pop-up displays, textile and billboard production. This massive imagesetter can image a full size film in under 14 minutes at graphic arts quality.

When imaging film of this size, speed and quality are essential. The Gigasetter uses a multi-beam Optics exposure system with selectable resolutions from 1000 to 4000 dpi. The effective accuracy on film is better than 1 mil per foot.