A new version of Agfa's Advantage N platesetter increases productivity by a further 50 plates per hour.

Earmarked for the high-volume newspaper market, the Advantage N TR VHS (Trolley Load, Very High-Speed) produces up to 400 plates per hour, an increase on the Advantage N TR HS.

Agfa says the increased speed will enable publishers to deliver the latest news and last-minute offers to their daily readers with sharper production deadlines. It will also help in the replacement of multiple, slower CTP engines with fewer units, saving processing and punch bending equipment and taking less floor space and labour.

Newspaper engines marketing manager Emiel Sweevers says the release shows Agfa's commitment to the newspaper market: "Everyone in the industry is looking for automation, improved production efficiency and cost savings, and this is not different in the high-volume segment.

"Our goal is to continue developing solutions that enable our customers to effectively meet the current market challenges head-on and win."

The Advantage N TR VHS features a trolley to transport plates from safelight environment to the platesetter. This gives operators the flexibility to load the plates in a separate yellow safelight environment more easily and efficiently, in case switching to yellow safelight conditions is not possible in the room where the CTP device is installed.