Jory Mertens: Vice President (right) and Guy Wilkins: Production Manager (left) are pleased with the increased speed, quality and cleanliness offered by Asahi AWP^TM CleanPrint water washable plates.

New plate system opens new doors, reduces reliance on VOC based washout solvents.

Tokyo, Japan & Brussels, Belgium. Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, today reported that BWJ Graphics, a leading trade shop in the flexographic industry and located in Joplin, Missouri, USA, has switched its flexographic plate production to Asahi Photoproducts AWPTM CleanPrint water wash plates to better meet a wide range of customer requirements. The company was using a flexo platemaking system that relied on VOC solvent washout. However, its customers were increasingly looking for faster delivery time and cleaner plates that delivered higher quality. The company partnered with Asahi Photoproducts and its distributor Wikoff Color Corporation to seek a more sustainable solution that would meet these customer needs.

“As we worked with Asahi and Wikoff, it became clear that transitioning to Asahi’s AWPTM CleanPrint water washable plates would be the ideal solution for meeting these growing customer needs,” said Scott DeLano, President at BWJ Graphics. “A key benefit of the CleanPrint technology is the fact that it reduces platemaking time to less than an hour, which allows us to quickly and successfully make plates even with last minute orders. Not only have these plates and the faster delivery time increased the satisfaction of our existing customers, but they have enabled us to acquire new customers as well. And we have received excellent feedback as to the print quality these plates deliver and their overall cleanliness.”

DeLano notes that when these qualities are combined with the great customer service delivered by the Asahi/Wikoff team, it is a win/win for everyone.

No VOC Based Washout Solvents Required

Asahi AWP™ CleanPrint water-washable flexographic plates are processed without VOC-based washout solventsand deliver a faster time to press than VOC solvent-based plates. Asahi´s CleanPrint water-washable flexographic photopolymer plate technology’s ability to deliver high-quality print performance is a result of its engineered photopolymer chemistry design. The water-wash technology also features a low surface energy plate resulting in fewer press stops for plate cleaning for significantly improved press efficiency and reducing press waste. All of these elements make them the most sustainable flexographic plates in the industry. In addition, AWP™-DEW CleanPrint plates deliver extremely high-quality print due to their precise registration and ability to deliver perfect printing balance between highlights and solids.

For more information about flexographic solutions from Asahi Photoproducts that are in harmony with the environment, visit www.asahi-photoproducts.com.