For automated plate sorting with a NELA PlateSorter you need additional hardware and software. With NPS and NPSsmart NELA offers convenient software solutions with which you can design your plate sorting according to your specifications. Three expansion stages allow small, medium, or large newspaper printers to get exactly the right type of automation.
NELA NPS offers the ideal solution for small and medium plate volumes. Production data is encoded in the form of a bar code. This information is read during the editing process and allows the system to store the plate in the right place. It can be used as a sorting filter so that the plates sorted by product, color or print location for example. Doing this, all of the needed plates for a print job can be placed and stored in the same sorting tray.
The software package NELA NPSsmart contains the high-end NELA NPS software system with the following additional features:
It is possible to completely dynamize the allocation of sorting trays , ie. emptied trays can be immediately assigned to the next print job. Only the number of trays is assigned as are really needed for the print job. This minimizes the need for stacking trays, making the space requirement considerably smaller.
For the a dynamic plate sorting, you will require the NELA PlateFlow software that provides extensive automation options up for direct connection to the CTP workflow or production planning software. Thus, the information for sorting can be adopted for each printing plate directly from the upstream system. The NELA Sorter knows exactly which printing plates are needed for which print job. The NELA system can provide the signal to start next print job to the exposure system when the needed sorting trays have been freed up.
When there is a need for the right sequence of the printing plates for the press cylinder (e.g. when automated plate loading systems are used), we recommend the NELA Reorganizer. The Reorganizer is also controlled by the NELA PlateFlow software and stores punched & bent plates until it is their turn to be brought to the stacker.