Beta Industries Donates Graphics Equipment to Cal Poly file:///X:/Copyright/Submissions/_PressReleases%20&%20Cal%20Pol... Skip to Content Cal Poly News Search Cal Poly News Go California Polytechnic State University Contact: Harvey Levenson (805) 756-1108 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Beta Industries Donates Plate Analyzer to Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Beta Industries has donated a $7,700 BetaFlex 334 plate analyzer to Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department. The gift enables students to analyze flexographic printing plates, proofs and press sheets and will improve the department's printing capabilities. "Students in the department can now learn more about assessing and implementing quality control for flexographic printing," said Assistant Professor Penny Osmond. "The BetaFlex will offer our students and workshop attendees the ability to measure factors that will greatly enhance our platemaking, and our printing capabilities in flexography." "Beta Industries has been offering innovative tools for maintaining quality control to the printing industry for more than 40 years," said Harvey Levenson, chair of the university's Graphic Communication Department. "The BetaFlex can analyze things such as dot size, screen ruling, edge factor and more on photopolymer plates, halftone proofs and press sheets. Software analysis is also available for data that is automatically collected." Larry Goldberg, director of research and engineering at Beta Industries, said, "Flexo printers and trade shops are under tremendous pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs. Errors that propagate undetected through the prepress, film output and platemaking stages -- only to be discovered on press -- are a huge waste of materials, time and money. "Systematic use of tools such as the Betaflex allow verification of many film and plate parameters early in the process," Goldberg said. "The sad lesson often learned too late is 'Whatever you don't measure and control will eventually become the cause of the mysterious failure.'" "We are honored to have joined forces with Beta Industries as 'partners 1 of 2 10/2/2009 1:50 PM Beta Industries Donates Graphics Equipment to Cal Poly file:///X:/Copyright/Submissions/_PressReleases%20&%20Cal%20Pol... in education,'" Levenson said. "We have a commitment to the flexographic industry to further the education we provide in flexography for our regular students and for industry professionals who attend our seminars and workshops. The BetaFlex 334 Plate Analyzer will greatly assist in this endeavor." Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department is one of the largest in the nation and is the only program of its kind in the western United States. The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in graphic communication with concentrations in printing and imaging management, electronic publishing and imaging, design reproduction technology and individualized study. - 30 - CP Home • CP Find It Get Adobe Reader • Microsoft Viewers Events • Recent Releases • Cal Poly Magazine • Cal Poly Update E-newsletter • Contact Public Affairs • Alumni • Giving • Athletics Cal Poly Public Affairs California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 805.756.7266 polynews@calpoly.edu 2 of 2 10/2/2009 1:50 PM