Flexo Technology
The flexo industry is constantly evolving
As we look ahead to the coming year, Nick Mitchell, operations director at Contact Originators, says it’s becoming ever clearer that some of the most effective innovations will come in the form of technology that streamlines operations and enables businesses to ‘accomplish more, quicker and with less’
A
t Contact Originators, we harness and embrace flexo technology to ensure we deliver
a product and service that consistently exceeds customer expectations.
Two key areas stand out and help to guide our own activities and development - sustainability and data. Crucially, the two are becoming ever more closely connected.
How we gather, manage and use information is changing and driving the flexo industry forwards. For
flexo plate manufacturers, it can be the difference between delivering on commitments and being left behind, so it’s naturally an area we focus on here at Contact Originators.
While it’s one thing to have data, it’s another to use it for process improvement. From each individual data point, including our technologies and machines on the production floor, we interrogate the data and use it to create slicker operations, through our newly developed in- house analytics system, Metrics. This gives us full visibility of all key areas of the business by connecting systems and technologies. Our approach integrates technology directly into our workflows to bring more value to customers, and with our expert use of connected data, the visibility and transparency of our plate making process is second to none. For ourselves and our customers, there is oversight and full clarity. The whole process becomes slicker, faster, easier to control and understand.
Of course, as sustainability sits high on the printing and packaging agenda, data plays another role in measuring meaningful progress. As a business, we are very much of the opinion that a step back to view the ‘bigger picture’ of sustainability is more effective than smaller piecemeal changes. We carry this ethos
more efficient and low-carbon distillation process, which helps to further reduce our carbon emissions.
In a further example of how flexo technology is shaping our business, we have introduced Esko Crystal screening technology, with the award-winning Print Control Wizard combining with the Esko CDI and XPS crystal plate exposure and imaging units for perfect plates, as well as XSYS Woodpecker screening and Hybrid Software Intelligent Flexo.
It’s time to make further inroads in the development of slicker, quicker operations. An example of where Contact Originators is playing its part is our use of innovative new Solvent Saver technology, from Esko.
throughout our business, from the products and services we offer to the way we run our own facilities and operations.
We view flexo supply chain sustainability in a similar way to how we view technology – as a continuously evolving programme, not a ‘set it and forget it’ one-off process.
We invest in the long term, and a prime example is the aptly named ‘Goliath’, our single biggest investment to date. True to its name, Goliath is a 24,000 litre distillation unit at our Dukinfield super-site. It’s the largest still of its kind in use for platemaking, and stands out as one of our biggest achievements.
As well as tripling the capacity of our previous distillation unit, Goliath is heated by steam, rather than oil. This is a more resource-efficient method of heating, underlining our commitment to sustainable plate production. It also provides a
As a member of the pre-release testing community, we worked with Esko to develop, test and hone Solvent Saver, which tackles some of the biggest challenges flexo platemakers face today. Much of today’s sustainability drive centres around achieving more with less, and that’s precisely what the Solvent Saver software does.
Ultimately, we want to push the boundaries of what can be accomplished with LAMS (Laser Ablative Mask System) plates, particularly in comparison to TIL (Thermal Imaging Layer) plates, which are historically more expensive, and therefore delivering greater value without compromising quality and keeping prices sustainable.
With market acceleration in the crosshairs, technology throughout the supply chain is making a real difference - and particularly for Contact Originators and its customers. By combining product and service innovations with technology that creates slicker workflows, we are able to offer a stronger service level and help our
customers compete in today’s packaging market.
www.contact-group.co.uk
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February 2023
www.convertermag.com
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