FAQ

Increasing pressroom productivity requires transitioning from traditional, craft-based manufacturing—with lots of manual touchpoints—to a more efficient, intervention-free flexographic printing process, which we at Miraclon refer to as modern flexo.

The plate plays a critical role in achieving modern flexo practices and the associated standardization that enhances pressroom productivity, because it touches the entire flexographic print process – the plate brings together substrates, inks and anilox—defining press capability and results.

FLEXCEL plates enable unparalleled consistency in imaging, eliminate variables in plate production, and deliver the 100% precision required for optimized, predictable ink transfer—the foundations of modern flexo.

The surface of a FLEXCEL NX plate incorporates digitally imaged surface channels that enable ink to flow. The channels are just 4-6 microns wide — there are 6 channels in the width of a human hair — and can be modified for different applications and different combinations of presses, substrates, inks and aniloxes. Multi-form plate surface patterning can only be achieved through Miraclon’s unique imaging and plate making technology that eliminates variables from the plate making process.

The most recent iteration of plate surface patterning —PureFlexo™ Printing — specifically tackles unwanted ink spread, which puts pressure on the production process, often leading to lower press speeds, more frequent unscheduled stoppages to clean plates, and a general reduction in press setup latitude. Wide print latitude is key to profitable production: less latitude, and the more likely that a small change in printing conditions will affect quality and result in reduced productivity, increased time and material waste.

Printers that implement modern flexo benefit from increased uptime, less troubleshooting, reduced waste, and more efficient job scheduling. They are positioned to commercialize more sustainable offerings and compete for work traditionally printed with other print processes.

The most dramatic environmental impact a flexographic plate can have takes place in the printing process itself – on press. FLEXCEL NX Technology from Miraclon is a key enabler of modern flexo, a standardized, sustainable way of printing that enables flexo printers to operate more efficiently, reduce waste and use less energy – simultaneously resulting in economic benefits.

The plate has the ability to change the way the print production works: it can help it run more efficiently, using less energy, it can help printers use more sustainable materials.

Modern flexo facilitates sustainable printing improvement in four areas:
1) Operational efficiency improvements in daily print production with quicker setup, less press stops which generate less waste and lower downtime.
2) Utilization of highly efficient printing methods, including fixed color palette printing and ECG (Expanded Color Gamut) printing, which eliminate spot color inefficiencies.
3) Excellent print results and production efficiency with eco-friendly materials such as water-based inks and recyclable substrates.
4) Visual parity with gravure, offset, and digital enables work to be transitioned to the lower environmental footprint of flexo production.

All the on-press performance benefits that FLEXCEL NX Technology provides also reduce waste, increase resource utilization, and enable support for a wide range of eco-friendly
materials, such as recyclable substrates and water-based inks, without impacting cost and in fact, improve the bottom line.

Modern flexo is a standardized, sustainable manufacturing process where:
• Results are consistent and predictable enough to enable printing by numbers.
• Jobs are printed with as few colors as possible (more process, less spots)
• Print conditions offer wide print latitude and facilitate clean printing.
• Outcomes can be optimized in more challenging environments, including —
crucially — with more sustainable materials.
• Flexo can achieve visual parity with gravure, offset and digital.

As a result, printers that implement modern flexo benefit from increased uptime, less troubleshooting, reduced waste, and more efficient job scheduling contributing to cost-savings. They are positioned to commercialize more sustainable offerings and compete for work traditionally printed with other print processes. Our commercial and technical application specialists can help customers visualize and quantify the impacts of implementing modern flexo with FLEXCEL NX Technology.