Crackin out plates truly sounds more like an operator error than a machine problem Frank. Has the operator gotta hard on for someone in pre-press or what ? In my profession we often find operator error to be as common (if not more so) as actual machine issues.

The most common problems in this area are operators taking set-up short cuts, deciding they know better than the manufacturor and implementing their own procedural processes as opposed to the ones outlined by the manufacturor and my real fave ...... lack of simple mechanical maintenance procedures and lubrication of a machines assemblies and sub-assemblies.

So long as a plate is mounted and packed up correctly it's difficult to see how the machine itself would have much to do with it cracking plates out unless the plate adjusting mechanism is exerting undue force on the plates clamping areas and causing it to crack from these forces when performing registration moves to the plate cylinder.

It could even be that a change in plate mounting/packing procedures with this machine might be in order. A sign of pure lunacy is to continue doin the same thing over and over and expecting a differing result from those same actions