Labelexpo Europe 2023 – Plates and platemaking | 129PLATES AND PLATEMAKINGAutomation and water processing were key trends seen in the plates and platemaking sector. Andy Thomas-Emans reports“ANOTHER NEW ENTRANT TO THE FLEXO PLATEMAKING SECTOR AND WITH AN IMPRESSIVE PEDIGREE BEHIND IT IS ECO3. ECO3 WAS LAUNCHED BY THE AURELIUS PRIVATE EQUITY GROUP FOLLOWING ITS ACQUISITION OF AGFA OFFSET SOLUTIONS”dvancements in water-wash fexo plate technology played a major role at Labelexpo Europe 2023, offering faster and more sustainable fexo plate production and banishing Athe negative quality perceptions of older generations of water-wash technology.Fujiflm demonstrated its Flenex FW water-wash plate system. Utilizing a Luscher XPose 330L platesetter and C-Touch processor, Flenex FW plates were produced in under 40 minutes to a 200lpi line screen at 4,400dpi resolution, achieving a 1 percent fat top dot. Flenex FW photopolymer plates contain a rubber-based compound which minimizes the effect oxygen has on the dot shape and the complexity of the system to eliminate oxygen from the plate production process. The other advantages of a rubber-based plate material include reduced plate swell and a mild washout with the company a powerhouse in the fexo platemaking space.just water and dishwasher soap. At Labelexpo Europe, XSYS showed the ThermoFlexX TFxX Asahi Photoproducts promoted its water-wash plate system in 30 and larger 48 model plate imager. The ThermoFlexX 48 was a joint project with Hamillroad, whose Bellissima DMS screening connected to the new Catena-E 48 LED exposure unit, imaging a printing on flmic label material showed the kind of impressive nylofex FTV fexo plate and demonstrating how automation is quality levels now achievable with water-wash plate technology. changing the platemaking process. Asahi launched an updated wastewater recycling unit for Another new entrant to the fexo platemaking sector and with its AWPTM water-wash plate processing system. The unit’s an impressive pedigree behind it is ECO3. ECO3 was launched proprietary fltering system uses hollow fber membrane separation by the Aurelius private equity group following its acquisition of technology developed by parent company Asahi Kasei, which Agfa Offset Solutions, which had itself acquired some impressive reduces waste water consumption by 75 percent and detergent pre-press brands over a decades-long history.usage by 40 percent. Asahi also announced that its AWP-DEW At Labelexpo Europe, ECO3 was showcasing a full range of CleanPrint fexographic plates have been certifed Carbon Neutral systems for in-house prepress and plate making for narrow- by the Carbon Trust. and mid-web fexo applications. These included the Amfortis Another route to the elimination of solvents – and indeed all PDF workfow, a range of screening technologies, Magis P-Eco chemical processing – is direct laser exposure, and this technology water-wash fat top dot plates and the Magis DI digital imager, was demonstrated by Swiss company Drop AG, founded by capable of imaging plates to a resolution of 4,800dpi.industry veteran Hans Lüscher. Drop DirectPoser is a direct Chinese suppliers are making an increasing impact in the plates exposure system for fexo plates based on EPDM materials, and platemaking arena.engraving plates directly with a fber laser and without chemicals. Strong Europe is a cooperative venture between Spain’s XSYS is a company with an interesting history. It was originally Abezeta Group and China’s Shanghai Strong State. The group was spun off as a separate division by Flint Group, combining Flint demonstrating the SF-DFT digital fexo plate, a hard durometer Group Flexographic and Xeikon Prepress portfolios. Last year Flint digital printing plate featuring Strong’s built-in fat-top dot sold XSYS to private equity group Lone Star, which aims to make technology. SF-DFT offers near one-to-one mask-to-plate imaging capability, eliminating the need for a bump curve, which helps printers expand the available color gamut and print a smaller dot. FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES LÜSCHER Hangzhou Cron introduced the HDI-920 high-defnition CTP PARTNERSHIPdigital fexo Imager for polyester-based letterpress plates, thermal offset plates, digital fexo plates, ablative flm, and metal-based Fujiflm announced a new partnership with Swiss CTP letterpress plates. equipment manufacturer Lüscher Technologies, allowing The HDI-920 is equipped with Cron’s SMFO optical laser, Fujiflm to distribute globally Lüscher’s MultiDX and Xpose imaging at up to 9600dpi. It is equipped with a fully automatic platesetter models. Lüscher’s Laser Diode Technology offers double-plate clamping system as standard, eliminating the need for 980nm IR imaging for any ablative material including fexo adhesive fxing tape. and letterpress plates and ablative flms. The tie-up benefts from Fujiflm’s existing partnership with Hybrid Software, announced earlier this year, with multiple Hybrid RIP options Our Labelexpo Europe review continues with dies and toolingoptimized for Lüscher CTP technology.Oct - Dec 2023