Esko is marking a significant milestone for its flexo platemaking solutions, with its celebrated CDI and XPS achieving a landmark worldwide sales total.

The global provider of integrated software and hardware solutions that accelerate go-to-market of packaged goods has announced that the CDI plate imaging unit recently installed at Inovar Packaging Group in Texas, USA, was the 5000th of its market-leading CDI and XPS exposure unit platemaking equipment to be sold.

“This is a terrific landmark for Esko and our flexo platemaking solutions,” said Jan De Roeck, Director of Marketing, Industry Relations & Strategy at Esko. “For more than 25 years, we have worked tirelessly to develop flexo platemaking solutions that help shorten lead times, maximize press uptime, and reduce operator interaction to improve overall efficiency. To reach this milestone is testament to the innovation of the development team and to those customers who have embraced the technology all around the world.”

The first Esko CDI – which stands for Cyrel® Digital Imager - was installed at Warburger Klischee-Anstalt GmbH in the German town of Warburg in 1996. Two decades later, in 2016, Esko then introduced its Crystal XPS LED plate exposure device, with the first machine that rolled off the production line installed at Glatz Klischee GmbH in Austria.

“Over the years, both the CDI and XPS have continually evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of brands, converters and their plate suppliers,” said Jan. “For example, the latest version of the innovative CDI Crystal harnesses the power of our Crystal optics and screening technology, ensuring flawless plates that excel in high print output and press stability for all flexo print applications.”

The CDI Crystal drives plate room efficiency, with its enhanced ergonomics leading to an incredible 73% reduction in operator time, while a more streamlined workflow reduces complexity and means manual steps and errors are reduced by 50%. Advanced laser imaging technology and high-resolution optics offer enhanced precision and clarity, while the utilization of HD Flexo and Crystal technologies deliver the highest quality plates, which subsequently ensure optimum print results.

“Similarly, with the XPS Crystal, we have supported brand owners who are under considerable pressure to not only deliver quality packaging but also to respond to consumer needs and accelerate their sustainability commitments,” added Jan.

In 2023, the XPS Crystal achieved both Certified Energy Savings (41% for tradeshops, 59% for converters) and Dematerialization (a staggering 92% reduction in waste) certifications from GreenCircle - an internationally recognized third-party certification entity that independently verifies the validity of sustainability claims.

“The XPS Crystal uses a UV LED array instead of mercury tubes used in a traditional main exposure bank light table,” said Jan. “This not only significantly improves the quality and consistency of flexo plates, but the UV power required for perfect exposure of a flexo plate is provided absolutely uniformly through the preset parameters by a single click per plate type and plate thickness.”

Jan said that while it was exciting to reach the CDI and XPS sales milestone, Esko was already focusing on further innovation with its flexo solutions.

“We have just unveiled the new CDI Crystal XPS ‘Quartz Edition’ at drupa, adding a top-of-the-line edition to the range and further building on the success of both the CDI and XPS,” he said. “With this latest innovation, we're elevating quality to new heights, empowering flexo printers to deliver the absolute highest quality results for their customers.”

For more on the entire range of flexo platemaking solutions from Esko, please visit https://www.esko.com/en/why-esko/flexo-platemaking.