FFP Packaging in the UK has received a number of well-deserved awards for the quality of its flexible package printing, and Asahi is proud to have contributed to its success.
The company spent a couple years researching and building a high quality Flexographic Print platform branded as Platinum Print to increase quality, improve throughput and reduce waste. They chose an Asahi AWP 4835 P plate processor (48” x 35”) and Asahi AWP-DEF water-washable plates based on the quality and speeds they were able to achieve with this configuration. FFP found they could reduce their plate processing time by approximately 60%, which is seen as a huge benefit as brand owners are continually pushing for faster time to market.
One example of how this configuration saves time involves situations where a plate is damaged on press or otherwise needs to be replaced. With their Asahi plate maker and water-washable plates, they are able to produce new plates in less than an hour, compared to as much as three hours with solvent-based platemaking.
Paul Hesketh, Print Development Manager at FFP, reports that the company has also implemented X-Rite ColorCert for statistical process control, and through real-time production monitoring, FFP has been able to raise its quality to an entirely new standard with the results being borne out by a dramatically improved quality and Colour score as reported by the ColorCert Scorecard Server. “With the controls and measures we have in place we are always confident of matching the contract proof on the first press pull,” he says, “which not only saves time but significantly reduces make-ready waste.”
These improvements were particularly important, as FFP worked with Whitworth’s to facilitate a branding change. “They were adding more high quality graphic images to their packaging,” Hesketh says. “This required us to print very fine tonal transitions in the background with no hard edges. The brand owner was absolutely over the moon with the results we achieved, and we would not have been able to do this with our previous configuration.”
To receive the case study with more details contact Monika Dürr (monika.d@duomedia.com).
– By David Galton, European Sales Director of Asahi Photoproducts
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About Asahi Photoproducts
Asahi Photoproducts is a subsidiary of the Asahi Kasei Corporation which was founded in 1971 holding its European Headquarters in Belgium, Asahi Photoproducts is one of the leading pioneers of flexographic photopolymer plate development. By creating high quality flexographic solutions and through continued innovation, the company aims at driving print forward in balance with the environment.
