Inci-Flex, a flexo and gravure prepress business based in Fisciano (Salerno province), Italy, has presented an automated flexo platemaking process, which the company says will assure quality, standardization and productivity.
The Italian firm installed a new Esko CDI Crystal 5080 XPS flexo plate production system in its bid to move towards pre-press automation.
The installation of the processing unit was carried out by supplier Vianord.
Instead of sending a flexo plate through up to nine manual steps, CDI Crystal 5080 XPS creates plates without any human intervention.
The automation of digital imaging and LED UV exposure improves consistency, processing speed and overall ease of use, claims Esko.
The CDI Crystal 5080 XPS, by combining plate imaging and exposing into a single operation, enables flexo plates making a coordinated, linear process.
Inci-Flex managing director Vincenzo Consalvo said: “We collaborated with our long-time partner Esko and our new supplier Vianord to develop a linear process. Linked by a purpose-built Smart Bridge, the plate begins its journey in the Crystal system and ends in the Vianord Evo 5 processing unit.
“Once a plate is placed on the CDI, it is not touched again until the whole production process is complete. With this system, a process that took nine steps has been reduced to one single step, all without operator intervention.
“The three partners – Esko, Inci-Flex and Vianord – leveraged their competencies and know-how and worked hard for several years to create this end-to-end solution. It was not an easy task, but it delivered exactly what we needed: complete automation of the platemaking process.”
Inci-Flex is specialized in the production of plates for printing of flexible packaging and labels for the food and beverage industries as well as other sectors.
