CJ:
It certainly looks as if water is not the issue, and a 30-second emergence versus 30 minutes pretty well rules out temperature, because you would notice that kind of change just from touch. If I had to guess, I would say that your assumption of poor quality control on the part of Rockland is probably correct. If your five orders came from three batches (one good, two bad) it would be enough to explain what you are seeing. The flaw in this is that you would need some way to verify that the plate batches weren't bad (hence the idea of "control strips" from one batch to the next).
I have no experience with the Rockland materials, but I have a hunch that their developer is one of the so-called "physical development" formulas, which plate silver from the developer onto the image as it develops. If so, you might find a suitable formula on the Web or in the Anchell book. Using a conventional developer followed by an intensifier might also work.
If I have any more inspiration, I'll email you directly; I doubt that many people find this sort of problem as fascinating as I do!
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