EskoArtwork Installs 2000th CDI Digital Flexo Plate Imager

Monday, January 09, 2012

Press release from the issuing company

Leading-edge repro-house adds second CDI Spark 5080 equipped with HD Flexo in one year

EskoArtwork (www.esko.com) proudly announces the 2000th installation of a Cyrel® Digital Imager (CDI) at VCG Connect UK. The landmark installation is the second CDI Spark 5080 with HD Flexo in 2011 for VCG Connect, one of Europe’s leading providers of digital reprographics services.

Since its introduction as the world’s first digital imager for flexo plates, the Cyrel Digital Imager established itself as the clear market leader. Juergen Andresen, EskoArtwork Vice President , Flexo Business, comments: “It is fantastic we have reached this exciting milestone just a few years after the installation of the 1000th CDI and after less than two years of the 1500th installation. It's clear that the interest in this technology is growing as brand owners and converters continuously look to digital flexo for its enhanced print quality, increased productivity and consistent results from plate run to plate run.”

EskoArtwork over the years has grown to a strong leader in the digital flexo area domain. The CDI was introduced in 1995, and today almost 90% of all digital flexo plates and sleeves worldwide are being imaged on one of Esko´s CDI devices.

EskoArtwork supports VCG Connect's ongoing innovation

UK graphics origination specialist for the print and packaging industry, VCG Connect serves many of Europe’s largest printers and brand owners. The EskoArtwork solutions, introduced throughout their longstanding relationship, touch every aspect of the company’s operations. For example EskoArtwork’s HD Flexo technology forms the basis of VCG Connect’s Q-Flex high quality flexo platemaking and service developed by David Piercy, operations director, and Geoff Walton, technical director.

Jim McCormack, managing director, explains: “We are known for our leading-edge innovative technology and that is why we work with EskoArtwork. In fact this year we have installed £800,000 in capital equipment and we believe that is more than the rest of the UK trade shops put together.”

VCG Connect’s dedicated development programme has enabled them to create the perfect solution for their customers says McCormack: “We can now extend our tonal range with smooth vignettes, highlights and shadows and also adjust imaging resolution from job to job and produce sharper and more accurate imaging. As a result of the high quality; we have just won a major contract with a huge brand and 2012 will see us export over £750,000 of printing plates to nine countries including Russia and Poland."

“In winning this work, we felt vulnerable with only one CDI. We were so satisfied with all the technical support that we had received since the installation of the first CDI Spark 5080, we had no compunction in ordering the second, ” continues David Piercy.

VCG Connect also adopted HD Flexo and McCormack adds: “Since the investment in HD Flexo, we’ve seen a marked increase in the quality of the final product, which has gone down very well with our customers. They like the flat top dots that enable them to run fewer colours at a lower cost or achieve finer detail. We have been taking a lot of work from gravure with many accounts moving over to flexo.”

Development commitment continues with HD Flexo

Introduced two years ago, HD Flexo combines 4000 dpi HD optics with unique screening technologies to take advantage of sharper and more accurate imaging for an outstanding print quality. The aim of HD Flexo is to increase flexo printing quality and be a viable alternative to offset and gravure printing. With HD Flexo, the screen rulings in flexo can be increased, while at the same time the size of the smallest printable dot is reduced. Users of HD Flexo also benefit from being able to achieve the full tonal range of offset, greater run lengths and fewer washing cycles as well as improved shadow performance of their prints.

McCormack concludes: “It is no longer believed that flexo is a poor relation to any print process. It has now come of age as a cost effective and high quality alternative and next year we see demand increasing exponentially as the world’s top brands increasingly adopt its potential.”