The Dantex Aquaflex Water Wash Photopolymer Plate range
12 May 2011
Most Flexible Packaging Printers choose to purchase trade shop plates, mainly due to the high costs associated with solvent processing: the equipment, specialised air-conditioning & extraction and solvent recovery.
Whilst there have indeed been alternative technologies available, quality has been a significant issue, until now. Dantex’s Aquaflex plate range is achieving a print quality in Flexible Packaging that is successfully challenging all other current options.UK Flexographic Trade Shop Waldo Ltd recently became the first of its kind to install an Aquaflex Plate Making System. Waldo is no stranger to UK firsts; they were the first to install Esko HD in the UK and obtain Esko HD Certification and the first to install an Epson WT7900 with Star proof. As part of Waldo Limited Director Phil Walmsley’s Environmental Initiative they are harvesting the rain from their roof to process
Aquaflex Optima plates.
When one particular Waldo customer noticed that a set of solvent plates were damaged, needing immediate replacement, and new solvent plates would not be
ready in time, Waldo proceeded to produce the job in Aquaflex DOPM 114. The DOPM Plates were completed and despatched in little over 1 hour. They arrived at
the customer site, some 152km away, and were being mounted on press whilst the final solvent plate would have only just been coming out of the finisher.
Colour strength can be an issue preventing Flexography winning more business from Gravure. However, Aquaflex achieves comparable densities even without
modifications and additional steps during plate production. Traditionally produced solvent wash plates can leave images looking weak and insipid and can suffer from heavy dot gain on highlights. Even new technologies can show a 1% minimum dot printing between 7%-11% and can suffer from dirtying in the mid-tones during printing.
Aquaflex Optima gives better colour strength and ink lay-down leading to greater vibrancy and its 1% minimum dot has printed as low as 3% to 5% in flexibles so far. Optima has superior ink release characteristics and requires very little cleaning during printing and removal. Solvent plates want to lift from the mounting tape, hence printers edge-seal and use primers, also because of poor elasticity the plates can have fit issues. Optima stays on the tape with no edge lifting and both fit & register appear greatly improved.
Polyprint Mailing Films in Norwich are the UK's leading supplier of polythene mailing films, envelopes and bags as well as flexible packaging for the food industry and other sectors. They purchase plates from a number of UK Trade Houses including Waldo. When Waldo installed a Dantex AQF 900 System Polyprint agreed to help pioneer this new technology and carried out a fingerprint using DOPM 114. Plates were printed using solvent-based inks on Polyprint’s second eight-colour Onyx Central Impression (CI) Flexopress (Uteco). Since the fingerprint, Polyprint have run numerous jobs on a daily basis using DOPM 114.
Print Manager, Neil Squance, made the following comments and observations;
“We have started using the DOPM 114 plates, supplied by Waldo, and have been very pleased with the results so far. They are very easy to handle and seem to adhere to the sleeve very well; we have occasionally had a problem with marking up but with the Dantex plates we don’t seem to experience this issue. We have tried one job without taping down the edges and so far so good, also the plates de-mount very well. Printing with the plates has been successful in the way they transfer the ink and colours are a lot stronger. When we moved to higher screen aniloxes we had concerns, but we have had no problems and hit our density targets with this plate. They also seem to stay cleaner, which has helped, as we now don’t have to stop and wipe them over during the run. The results we have had on the jobs so far have been very encouraging and we now use them as often as possible. So far I can honestly say that we love them!”
Since trialling Aquaflex, a number of UK Flexible Printers are now successfully printing production jobs day in day out with outstanding results using conventional and HD imaged Aquaflex plates. More importantly common print issues normally associated with printing fine screens are overcome. Consider the immediate and long-term impact on the environment the elimination of solvents and the introduction of high speed processing will have; a high quality, cleaner and greener solution for the Flexographic Printing Industry.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 25/10/2024 - Dantex to showcase innovative digital solutions at ALL4PACK debut
- 17/09/2024 - Global Graphics Software and Dantex Group announce strategic partnership to integrate SmartDFE into Pico UV digital inkjet presses
- 07/08/2024 - Dantex Group to showcase groundbreaking innovations at Labelexpo Americas 2024
- 25/07/2024 - Dantex Group appoints new digital development director
- 03/07/2024 - Dantex announces group MD promotion
- 23/05/2024 - Dantex Group announces new vice president of sales appointment for USA
- 17/05/2024 - Dantex Group announces new digital director for Pico division
- 29/04/2024 - Dantex announces new distributor agreement for France
- 09/04/2024 - Dantex announces new appointment for flexo division
- 12/03/2024 - Dantex Group welcomes new team members
- 27/02/2024 - Dantex Group celebrates multiple anniversary milestones
- 23/02/2024 - Dantex Group partners with Polymount to introduce sustainable self-adhesive sleeves to the label industry
- 19/01/2024 - Dantex Group appoints new director for USA digital division
- 11/12/2023 - Dantex and ACTEGA collaboration delivers innovation and sustainability benefits
- 01/12/2023 - Dantex Poland celebrates 25th anniversary
- 30/10/2023 - Dantex launches new PicoCare - a service contract tailored to customer needs
- 14/09/2023 - Dantex launches revolutionary technology for Pico range at Labelexpo Europe 2023
- 25/08/2023 - Dantex set to unveil major technology advancements to its Pico-range at Labelexpo Europe
- 14/07/2023 - Dantex announces digital distributor partnership for South Africa
- 02/06/2023 - Bruce Davidson named as Dantex Group USA Lead Digital Service Engineer
- 26/05/2023 - Dantex showcases groundbreaking PicoJet 1200 at open house event
- 03/05/2023 - Dantex set to install first PicoJet® digital press in Latin America
- 13/04/2023 - Dantex Group appoints new MD
- 23/03/2023 - Tim Cantrell named as Technical Product Manager - Dantex Group USA
- 13/02/2023 - Ross Holloway joins Dantex as UK Product Manager
- 07/02/2023 - Dantex announces digital distributor partnership for Spain and Portugal
- 25/01/2023 - Dantex certified to use Color-Logic with Pico range
- 08/12/2022 - Dantex launches new SuperText® on PicoJet 1200 digital press
- 26/10/2022 - Creation Reprographics installs Dantex AQF900 plate-making system to complement sustainability ambitions
- 06/10/2022 - Dantex lauds Labelexpo Americas 2022 as best ever
- 14/09/2022 - Dantex launches its game-changing Pico 1200 range
- 29/07/2022 - Dantex PicoJet 330S upgrade delivers perfect solution for ModTek
- 19/05/2022 - Dantex Group enforces manufacturing excellence with Made in Britain accreditation
- 11/01/2022 - Dantex strengthens senior team with new appointment
- 03/09/2021 - Chemical company re-affirms Dantex loyalty with PicoColour investment
- 23/06/2021 - PicoJet 330 helps successful launch of Spectrum Digital Labels
- 25/11/2019 - Customark expand digital print capability with new Dantex PicoColour
- 15/10/2019 - Cresta Labels: Case Study
- 07/06/2018 - Dantex sells digital press to label start-up at Labelexpo
- 07/06/2018 - Dantex provide perfect varnish application solution for Glossop Cartons - PR 080517
- 05/06/2018 - Cresta Labels strengthens capability with Dantex PicoColour® investment
- 05/06/2018 - Paramount Labels invest in a Dantex PicoColour Digital Press
- 11/08/2016 - Join us at the Rotometrics Prestigious European Open Event.
- 05/02/2016 - Dantex to showcase digital capability at Label & Print 2016
- 16/07/2015 - Dantex PicoColour® II Launch
- 16/02/2015 - Dantex welcomes new Technical Sales Representatives
- 12/02/2015 - Digital Printing - A Part of the Jigsaw
- 22/07/2014 - DantexRBCor will be at Label Expo this Year on Stand 535
- 15/05/2014 - Jones & Brooks Installation: DW 2735, Aquaflex Plates & Star Plate System.
- 20/02/2014 - Andrew Abbott appointed General Manager of Dantex UK
- 21/01/2014 - Plates & More at Packaging Innovations
- 10/01/2014 - A Flexo Star for APE Etiquettes
- 30/07/2013 - Screen Europe launches digital UV label press & appoints Dantex as specialist distributor
- 01/05/2013 - Gateshead Brings Coating Plate Production In-House
- 31/10/2012 - Dantex holds Digital Open Day in the UK - PR 12009
- 06/09/2012 - Dantex Expands in the USA