Gent (Belgium), March 17, 2008 – EskoArtwork, the global market leader in innovative design, pre-production, collaboration and finishing solutions for the packaging, commercial printing and sign and display industry, announces the introduction of the Esko Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) Spark 4260 Auto at drupa 2008. This new member of the world's leading family of digital imagers for flexo plates is built for fully-automated plate loading, imaging, and unloading. Thus, the CDI Spark 4260 Auto becomes a real plate-making factory with a significant increase in productivity for flexible packaging trade shops as well as high volume converters. The added automation tools considerably reduce previously-required handling steps and significantly remove potential sources of error.

"The Esko CDI Spark 4260 Auto solidifies the CDI platesetter family's position as the fastest plate imagers currently available, by further reducing operator tasks and manual intervention," comments Jan Buchweitz, EskoArtwork CDI product manager. "The Esko CD 4260I Auto moves our outstanding technology to the next level of flexo platemaking, defining the new standard in digital flexo!"

Highest throughput

Able to process three full-size digital flexo plates at once, the CDI Spark 4260 Auto addresses the requirements of the highest quality flexo applications, primarily targeting flexible packaging and folding carton markets. Four productivity levels are available for the Esko CDI 4260 Auto. With the highly reliable Optics 80 fiber laser with multibeam optics, the Esko CDI 4260 Auto delivers the highest throughput and flexibility at a maximum speed of up to 8.0 m²/hr, with fully variable resolution imaging. In just 12 minutes, it images a full size 42" x 60" / 1067 x 1524 mm plate of any thickness.

Automated plate loading

At drupa 2008, the new Esko CDI Spark 4260 Auto will be demonstrated in a configuration of automated plate loading, imaging, and unloading in combination with the integrated Inline UV Main Exposure and Back Exposure unit. Together with the DuPont Cyrel FAST TD 4260, the Esko CDI Spark 4260 will be shown at drupa as part of an automated flexo workflow, processing a wide range of packaging materials. While automation assures maximum throughput, the outstanding CDI technology guarantees the highest quality and consistency in plate making.