Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Polychrome OPC plate; Rhone Poulenc and DIC

In mid 1970 French chemical giant Rhone Poulenc owned  large graphic arts product distributor which was one of Polychrome GmbH dealers in Europe.         Mr. Halpern made an arrangement for them to invest in Polychrome as Polychrome was expanding into film production.     Their investment eventually rose to own substantial (40%) part of outstanding Polychrome shares.         One of the strength Polychrome GmbH had was the strong offering of negative plates useful in newspaper printing.       The major competitor Kalle introduced in 1960's a new product called OPC (organic photoconductor) plate and by 1970 a direct camera platemaking system called Elfasol was on the market and it started making inroad to newspaper market.    Since it bypasses the film making step, the closing time for newspaper could be pushed back and that was a tremendous advantage over the conventional film-plate system.       Rhone Poulenc management was concerned about the threat of this emerging product and brought us their analysis of Kalle patents and components.          The Yonkers lab made successful initial trial coating to demonstrate competitive performance.      The formula was then transferred to Osterode for scale up.       The OPC plate was successfully scaled up and was soon on the market as OPC-A to be sold into the Elfasol equipment as the alternative to Kalle offering.     Although the customers were reluctant initially to take in competitor's plate they gradually accepted the role of the second source and OPC-A enjoyed reasonable acceptance.          The GmbH management, however,  realized soon that unless we have a dedicated equipment of our own further penetration was not possible.           The Yonkers lab. was by then working on a new OPC we named OPC-B.      Soon after the DIC purchase of Polychrome,  technology team exchange was organized.      During one of the visit to DIC, we realized that one of the DIC division, Imagaing Material Division, had a project for an OPC drum coating for copying machines and printers.           The major components used for the drum coating was different from the one used in OPC-A plate and promised to have a higher light sensitivity.            We brought back the information and the components and soon a new OPC plate, OPC-B, was born.             This is the plate tested successfully on the Chemco Newsplater, a Elfasol like camera direct platemaking system with one major difference.     Kalle used dry toner while Chemco used liquid toner.        Chemco was then using an inorganic (zinc oxide) photoconductor as their plate and since we knew the shortcoming of zinc oxide plate on the press we had approached them earlier with OPC-A and determined that it did not have high enough sensitivity.      Armed with the knowledge we went back to Chemco with OPC_B and successfully demonstrated that it matched the needed sensitivity and that also once made into a plate it performed just as an ordinary printing plate.        The successful demonstration led us to cooperate with them to start beta testing at the Wall Street Journal Sharon PA plant in their new laser to plate platemaking attempt which then led their adoption of laser platemaking system in over half of their operating plants.           The GmbH management sent an engineer to study the Chemco system and embarked on our own platemaking system.        Like Elfasol, the OPC 2000 system was a "direct to plate" camera system with one major difference.       Elfasol used a dry toner sytem and OPC 2000 a liquid toner system offering better resolution.          Over 100 units of  OPC 2000 were eventually installed throughout Europe.            

So the famous Polychrome OPC plates were not Polychrome invention.       Our contribution was just like Microsoft and Apple in good execution of someone's idea into  customer friendly new products of our own.      

Click  HERE  to view OPC 2000 brochure.      In addition to the use of liquid toner, it had rotating  copy holder to speed up production.



Polyworld Vol 1 no 2 Spring '83 revisited

You can now read all the content of this Polyworld by clicking HERE   You can read all about Mr. Kawamura, find out who won the contest to rename the Chrome-guide to Polyworld, new distribution system POLO, see who marked 54th year of service, who joined Polychrome in 82, and what prints WRN made, who won the sales contest, etc.




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Old business card design

Found old business cards

1970's


note there is no fax number nor email address!
(This is the most classy card design with embossed logo in the middle you may not be able to see.)


1980's

It now carries telex number and telefax (not a simple fax!) number!

1990's
It now says simply "fax" and my own email address as the company did not have official address yet then.



Monday, October 29, 2012

Polyworld vol 11 no 1 revisited

Hope those of you who are in east coast weathered the Hurricane Sandy ok.           Here is the Polyworld Vol 11 posted earlier.     Now that a link is made to the PDF file, the content can be clearly seen.     Please click HERE  to view the entire content.       There are a lot of familiar (and young) faces in the article



Saturday, October 27, 2012

Polyworld revisited vol 1 no 1 Fall '82

It turns out the Polyworld started as "The Chrome -guide" in the fall of 1982.       After the naming contest it was renamed to Polyworld in the subsequent issues.         I now have made PDF document so that the entire content can be easily read.     So here is the first Polyworld or rather  "The Chrome - guide"    Vol. 1, Number 1 Fall '82 issue.    

To read the content click HERE.



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Mr. Halpern comments on Fantastic Growth! (1968)

Another digging by Doug Chu produced 1968 news paper article in which Mr. Halpern describes rosy outlook for the graphic arts supply business.     (Thanks Doug)



This appeared on the Milwaukee Journal Jan 16, 1968      Click HERE for details
(you can read the whole article by simply moving the cursor around and move the page up and down.)

Mr. Halpern gives a bit of history here.      Started manufacturing stencil in 1937,    Started offset supply in 1948, and started presensitized offset plate manufacturing in 1952.     Sales increased from $2.5 mil in 1957 to $20 in 1967.

The Art of Excellence (early 1990?)


This beautiful brochure has many world class master paintings and has the following introduction         (Thank you Marge McG for the brochure)
Dedicated to a Tradition of Excellence
Over the centuries, the great masters of art have demonstrated one common characteristic - a fervent dedication to their work. Quality, craftsmanship, attention to detail. These are qualities which make one excel. But above all, an undying desire to go beyond the limits of one's capabilities. To be the best. To strive for perfection. This is the art of excellence.
In its most fundamental form, printing is an art - an art to which Polychrome has remained dedicated for over 55 years. And just as each of the great masters excelled in his or her own specialty, Polychrome has excelled - like no other company in the graphic arts industry.
A record of pioneering technology; uncompromising standards of quality; World-Class Manufacturing facilities; and responsive customer service. These qualities have made Polychrome a leader around the world, and are fueled by a desire to develop the most efficient, state-of-the-art consumables, equipment and prepress supplies for our customers. Our commitment to the graphic arts industry. A commitment to excellence.







Sunday, October 21, 2012

Laser-Scan OPC-B video

When we vacated Carlstadt lab sometime ago, a few video tapes were rescued from a garbage pile.      I am happy to have saved historic Laser-Scan video.        As you may recall Polychrome received InterTech '85 award for the Laser-Scan technology.        This was based on the OPC-B plate (will explain in detail later) and was used at several Wall Street Journal plan.        They composed newspaper in their South Brunswick office, beamed up the information to satellite around 5pm and their printing plants strategically placed throughout the nation received the latest electronic page feed and then imaged on our OPC-B printing plate.       This eliminated (according to the engineers we spoke then) about 20 film and platemaking workers replaced by a few electrical engineers who manned the sophisticated satellite-to-printing plate making equipment.          As the video indicates towards the end this was the time when Apple Computer announced the laser printer which revolutionized the PC world.       Today, majority of printing plates are made using laser direct platemaking system.       We could say we were there showing the way in early 1980 where the industry was going.   Three names come to my mind who helped get this award, Jay Patel who literally lived in the Wall Street Journal plant to make this work, Simon Chu who was behind the making of this video and application for the award and Bill Palafox who prepared all the documentation to gain support.


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Polychrome History 1935-1988

 A booklet distribued in May 1988 covers a short history of Polychrome (Thank you Maria S.)


  
1935
Polychrome founded by Gregory Halpern in New York City to


manufacture mimeograph inks. His wife, Freda, named the


company "Polychrome."




1936
Company incorporated in the state of New York.




1944
Relocated to Yonkers, N.Y




1950
Began production of direct image paper offset masters.

1959
Introduced the first successful presensitized, mechanically


grained metal offset plate- "Granekote."

1961
Entered industrial chemicals field with the acquisition of


Cellofilm Corp., Wood-Ridge, NJ., as a wholly-owned subsidiary


to produce nitrocellulose solutions.




1962
Introduced the first two-sided presensitized, mechanically


grained offset plate -"Dualgrane."





Participated in establishment of Aufa-Polychrome Offsetplatten


GmbH in West Berlin to manufacture offset plates and


chemistry for distribution to Western Europe, the Near East


and Africa.





Formed Cellomer Corp., in Newark, NJ., as a wholly-owned


subsidiary to manufacture and market alkyd, epoxy, polyester


and urethane resins.

1963
Polychrome common stock listed on the American Stock


Exchange.


Licensed Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., to manufacture and


distribute Polychrome's presensitized aluminum plates and


other offset products in Japan and the Far East.

1964
Introduced the first presensitized, electrolytically-grained and

anodized offset plate -"Litho-Surface IOO,OQO."



Severed relations with Aufa GmbH and relocated the German

company to West Germany, under the name Polychrome

GmbH.


1965
Introduced the first presensitized bi-metal offset plate -

"Copperkote Positive."

Established Cellofilm manufacturing facilities in Chicago to

serve the Mid-West market with nitrocellulose solutions.
1967
Introduced the first presensitized, mechanically-grained and

anodized offset plates-"GA" and "GAP."


1968
Established marketing subsidiary, now known as Polychrome

Ltd., in Watford, England.


1969
Introduced the first presensitized, mechanically-grained,

anodized and aqueous-developable subtractive plate system

"FGB."


1971
Entered the prepress equipment field with the company's first

automatic plate processing machine.


1972
Polychrome Ltd. began manufacturing inks and photographic

and lithographic chemicals in England.

Introduced the first two-sided presensitized, anodized, subtrac­

tive offset plate- "DSN."







1980     Dr. Gregory Halpern, Founder of the company, retired as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.
1981     Introduced the first aqueous-developable, projection-speed offset plate system -"PPN."
1982     Introduced the first laser-exposable electrostatic plate system­"OPC."
  Purchased Yardville, NJ. facility.
1983     Introduced the first ultra-high-printout positive plate system - "Posimatte°."
            Introduced the first high-resolution, long-run, aqueous developable photopolymer plate system -"Quantum"."
 Added automated vertical cameras to     product line.
Formed Polychrome Chemicals Corp. as wholly-owned subsidiary (comprised of Cellofilm and Cellomer operating divisions).
1984     Introduced new film systems, including daylight duplicating and daylight contact,rapid access and diffusion transfer.
Formed Systems Division.
Introduced second-generation, fully-automated, in-line camera direct electrostatic platemaker- "OPC-2000."
Relocated National Distribution Center to Yardville, NJ., facility.
Added vacuum frames and light tables to product line.

1985     Polychrome awarded InterTech '85 Technology Award by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation for it's Laser-Scan TI plate utilizing digitized imaging by laser.
1986     Entered into a long-term technology transfer contract with the China National Chemical Construction Corp. and the Second Film Factory of Nanyang, both in the People's Republic of China, providing for transfer of Polychrome's proprietary tech­nology for the installation in China of the first major facility for the manufacture of presensitized lithographic printing plates.
Acquired Rachwal Systems Inc., Ashland, Mass., manufacturers of projection platemaking systems, as wholly-owned subsidiary.
Relocated Offset Finishing and National Distribution Center from Yardville to Robbinsville, NJ.

1987    Polychrome Chemicals Corp. acquired as an operating divi­sion, RBH Dispersions, Bound Brook, NJ., which disperses pigments into a variety of binder systems.
Aquired Opti-Copy, Inc., Lenexa, Kans. , manufacturers of prepress imaging systems.
K-2 Dedication -Katzenstein, Germany.
1988    Eliminated ink and blankets form the product line.
Introduced the VISTART" line of aqueous-developable plates.
Transferred Polychrome Chemicals Corp. to Reichhold Chemicals Inc.
Polychrome France S.A.R.L. acquired CROMSYS, a manufacturer of bi-metallic plates.


1987        Polychrome Chemicals Corp. acquired as an operating divi­sion, RBH Dispersions, Bound Brook, NJ., which disperses pigments into a variety of binder systems.
Aquired Opti-Copy, Inc., Lenexa, Kans., manufacturers of prepress imaging systems.
K-2 Dedication -Katzenstein, Germany.
1988        Eliminated ink and blankets form the product line.
Introduced the VISTART" line of aqueous-developable plates.
Transferred Polychrome Chemicals Corp. to Reichhold Chemicals Inc.
Polychrome France S.A.R.L. acquired CROMSYS, a manufacturer of bi-metallic plates.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Pictures from Marge McGill:s collection

Marge McGill brought numbers of photos.     What nice about her collection is that all the names are scribbled in the back so that after many years we can match names and faces!



from left S. Fowlds, M. McGill, N. Profetta, Rudy (never learned his last name!), J. Randolph
at one of the retiree luncheon in NJ (late 1990?)


Better picture of John


This was from 1996 gathering of PC clan at the Red Robin Restaurant in Yonkers 

Gert Sander, Eleanor Anderson        Lilly Speraman, C. Kreiner,, Peg Arnt,Holly Steel, Peg Otis

Viola Kaset, Kay Fenyo,                           C Kreiner, Betty Meyer


Mimi Semedo Barbara Viviano,         Jill Halley

Betty Wend, J. Randolph, Deb Green,     B. Viviano, Peg Otis, C. Kreiner


Marge dressed up for her retirement party in 1996 with Elaine Brooks and Barbara Lent

Fuji before Yoshida and Osterode before Katzenstein


Fuji Film's current Yoshida factory was preceded by a smaller one in Odawara, Kanagawa Japan.    The photo is from th 1968 promotional tour.

from left Dr. Ooba,Mr.Kamino, K. Shimazu, Mr. Halpern, S. Chu, Mr. Chiba, Dr Sofue
The Japanese writing above says Offset Material Department

The Osterode Germany was a small border town close to the  east Germany during the cold war.   After the much larger Katzenstein factory was built later to support business expansion, the Osterode plant was closed and is now a shopping mall.


Osterode in Feb. 1971, pictured from left
? , K. Richter, K. Zimmerman, S. Chu, Ingeborg and C. van Lynden
front Dina and Doug Chu (who supplied this family photo)

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Polychrome move to Yonkers...a BIG news on Dec. 9, 1944 Herald Statesman

The Herald Statesman reports on Dec. 1944 on its first page that Polychrome Corporation with its 100 employees will move to the southeast corner of Alexander and Ashburton Ave.    Polychrome Corporation will consolidate 4 of its plants and make its headquarter here around Jan 1, it said.     Polychrome had its headquarter in New York City and its mimeographic stencil and specially coated insulating paper are said to be mostly (80%) for  the war effort.
Please click the following ling to read the actual article.        You can also read the 2nd page by changing the last number from 7 to 8.

http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%2010/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201944%20Grayscale/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201944%20Grayscale%20-%201217.pdf

Thank you Doug Chu (Simon's son and Chu family historian) for supplying this information.

Farewell to Yonkers, Polyworld Spring 1992


Yonkers plant was landlocked by streets, railroad truck and a jail.        Thus the Columbus plant was constructed for future expansion.         The office was moved to Sun Chemical HQ in Ft. Lee, NJ and the R&D to Sun Chemical Laboratories in Carlstadt, NJ.     In this (final?) issue of Polyworld you can see many familiar faces and names from the factory and the office .