Fujifilm, a newcomer to the flexo market, revealed more details of its direct laser engraving (DLE) plate, Flint announced a new UV CTP system and Esko unveiled an update to its HD Flexo system.

Fujifilm’s DLE plate works by the laser in the platesetter ablating non-image areas. The processing step is a water rinse to remove any remaining non-image areas. The firm claimed that this is a much faster and more environmentally friendly process than the more common flexo-platemaking process, which uses a thermally imaged mask and requires UV front and back exposure and processing.

The firm is also developing its own platesetter with a fibre-coupled laser, which it claimed would ensure the highest productivity and quality, although the plate will work with other firms’ DLE platesetters. The plate will be available in sizes up to 900x1,200mm in 1.14 and 1.7mm thicknesses in medium and hard versions.

Flint’s UV platesetter, which is currently in beta testing and expected to launch in 2011, will work with standard flexo plates, but the firm is also developing a special plate that will produce superior results.

Lastly, EskoArtwork launched version two of its HD Flexo system, a combination of screening software and high-resolution optics in its CDI platesetters.

The advances in version two enable a higher solid ink density to be run, which the firm said widens the colour gamut possible with flexo. It added that this would enable printers to reproduce more brand colours out of process colour, eliminating the need for specials, and making ganging jobs more practical.

The enhanced quality would also enable work currently printed gravure to switch to flexo, with the attendant reduction in origination costs.

FLEXO PLATEMAKING INNOVATIONS

Company        Development
EskoArtWork  HD Flexo 2.0
Provides higher image quality, print density and colour gamut

Flint              UV flexo platesetter
Quicker and simpler plate production process

Fujifilm          DLE flexo plate
Quicker and simpler plate production process