The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has selected MacDermid's LUXTM plate processing technology as the recipient of its 2011 Technical Innovation Award. Presented on May 1 at the FTA's Annual Awards Banquet, the award recognizes "companies and/or individuals whose visions and perseverance bring new and innovative products and technologies to the flexographic marketplace."
 
"MacDermid has a long history of providing innovative solutions coupled with unrivaled service, and to be recognized by such a well-respected industry association speaks to the quality, efficiency and consistency that we've been able to deliver to our customers with LUX," said Scot Benson, Vice President and General Manager of MacDermid Printing Solutions.
 
Joe Tuccitto, Education Director for the FTA and Shelley Rubin, Manager of Educational Services, presented the award to MacDermid at the banquet on Sunday night. Submissions for the FTA Technical Innovation Award were judged on the following criteria: 1) Technical Achievement; 2) Technical Impact on the Industry's Future; 3) Description of the Technology; and 4) User Testimonials.  
 
The LUX platemaking process is a simple and easy to use technology which produces flat-top dots on flexo printing plates, thereby enabling printers to substantially improve their print quality and consistency, making flexo more competitive against gravure and offset printing processes. This simple process is easy to integrate into existing platemaking workflows, is compatible with all digital plates from MacDermid, does not require modification to current platemaking equipment, and can be used with all digital flexo plate imaging units, including units equipped with the latest "HD Flexo" imaging technology from EskoArtwork. The LUX Process can be used on a wide variety of substrates - including paper, flexible film, foil, paperboard, labelstock and corrugated.
 
The LUX process was formally introduced exactly one year ago at the 2010 FTA Forum. Since then, LUX has been met with much success in the marketplace with more than 50 installations worldwide. LUX also received the Flexographic Pre-Press Platemakers Association (FPPA's) "Technology Innovator Award" earlier in 2011.