Packaging
EskoArtwork presents full range of digital flexo solutions at Ipex 2010
Thursday 20. May 2010 - Show underlines leadership in flexo with best-selling CDI devices, and marks introduction of new PreMount workflow
EskoArtwork presents at Ipex 2010 its complete portfolio of digital flexo solutions, including Cyrel Digital Imagers (CDIs) and related integrated software and hardware products. On display at the EskoArtwork stand is a CDI Advance Cantilever 1450 that provides exceptional in the round flexo sleeves for the flexible packaging market. Visitors will also learn more about the HD Flexo technology for the production of plates and sleeves delivering printing quality comparable to offset or gravure, as well as the Inline UV Main Exposure and the Digital Flexo Suite for optimized and automated plate and sleeve production.
New at Ipex is the revolutionary PreMount workflow, which streamlines and optimizes the handling of digital polymer carrier sheets. EskoArtwork can be found in Hall 12, stand C150. The EskoArtwork digital flexo solutions are also showcased by DuPont Cyrel, which exhibits at the adjacent stand.
“Since the introduction of the world’s first digital imager for flexo plates at drupa in 1995, EskoArtwork has driven developments in digital flexographic imaging technology in close cooperation with our flexo partner DuPont,” explains Jürgen Andresen, EskoArtwork Vice President, Flexo Business. “Today, an estimated 90% of all digital flexo plates and sleeves worldwide are imaged on CDIs. And just recently, we installed our 1500th CDI at a US customer, VT Graphics. Were looking forward to showing visitors our latest developments, such as the new PreMount workflow and HD Flexo technology, which are raising the industry standard for flexo quality.”
New! PreMount workflow: saving time and consumables
The PreMount workflow is a new option for the Digital Flexo Suite for Corrugated. In combination with a CDI flexo platesetter and a Kongsberg cutting table, substantially reduces plate and solvent consumption as well as labor in the mounting workflow. This solution makes mounting carrier sheets easy, cost effective, fast and accurate. Trade shops will benefit from an automated workflow, perfect print register and the elimination of mounter and liquid frames. No plate mounting experience is required!
The first step involves preparing the carrier sheet on which raw plate material is coarsely taped. Next, the carrier sheet is loaded into the CDI for imaging. An ingenious register system guarantees a perfect image register and a fast switch to normal plate making. Finally, the carrier is washed, dried and sent out for printing.
Digital Flexo Suite with Staggered Cut Option
The Digital Flexo Suite with Staggered Cut Option is a comprehensive software solution targeted at the flexible packaging industry and delivers complete automation for a nearly seamless flexo plate production. This Staggered Cut Option enables companies to automatically cut round, staggered and individually shaped plates in the step-and-repeat process with repeated precision. The German prepress service provider, Reproservice München, was one of the first companies to use the Staggered Cut Option. “The EskoArtwork solution enables us to offer additional services to our customers,” says Peter Hamm, Managing Director at Reproservice. “And the automated cutting service means the mounting operators time can now be spent on other jobs.”
HD Flexo: revolutionizing flexo printing
HD Flexo combines 4000 dpi HD optics with unique screening technologies to take advantage of sharper and more accurate imaging. The result is outstanding print quality with a straight-forward plate production process, as the high-resolution optics deliver more accurate, sharper imaging of text and line art.
Users of HD Flexo have confirmed they are able to reproduce the full tonal range of offset. Over the last year, EskoArtwork installed its HD Flexo at a wide range of forward-thinking customers in several markets around the world. Companies already reaping the benefits of HD Flexo include RAKO Etiketten (Germany), Inci.Flex (Italy), Waldo (UK) and Köstlin (Germany), with many more making progress implementing the solution. Thanks to HD Flexo, these companies are now handling jobs in flexo printing that were previously only possible in offset.
Inline UV for the highest precision
Inline UV Main Exposure technology allows digital flexo plates to receive the UV Main Exposure within the same device where they are imaged, rather than requiring a subsequent exposure step on an offline light frame. Combining these two process steps on the same device provides economic and quality benefits. The Inline UV Main Exposure option improves quality and consistency in digital flexo plate making, and reduces operating costs and customers environmental impact.
Compared to offline UV exposure units, the CDI Inline UV Main Exposure light source is more stable, lasts longer and guarantees improved plate consistency. The system requires less energy and produces much less heat. On-press color fluctuations due to UV inconsistency can be eliminated, which can reduce the total job-to-job color variations by half.
The CDI Advantage for round sleeves
The Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) Advance Cantilever is designed for imaging large-format sleeves as well as seamless and endless sleeves. The CDI Advance Cantilever enhances throughput, as the removal of the mandrels and the offline exchange of print sleeves is no longer required. The CDI Advance Cantilever can be used in combination with the Inline Main UV Exposure unit, which cures sleeves on the fly, making handling afterwards as easy as possible. With the help of EskoArtwork Dynacell screening technology it is possible to use HD Flexo on seamless designs.
The CDI Advance Cantilever 1450 is on display on the EskoArtwork stand (Hall 12, Stand C150) next to the Cyrel FAST round system on the neighbor stand of DuPont, an easy-to-use solution that delivers a continuous print flexo sleeve.