ThermoFlexX has installed its first flexo imager in the UK following an order for a ThermoFlexX 30 from high-quality label printer Mission Labels and the Belgian manufacturer says it expects to be announcing further UK orders in the near future. Mission Labels has purchased the digital flexo plate imager as part of a £100,000 investment in pre-press facilities that has resulted in the West Sussex flexographic printer moving from traditional film setting to state-of-the-art CTP production. In addition to the ThermoFlexX 30, the recent expansion includes front-end systems, AV Flexologic exposure equipment and a new pre-press department containing an art and design studio.

“We had reached the stage where we needed to make the leap from film setting to the latest digital platemaking technology,” says technical director Dave Humphrey. “Making the right decision was vital so we carried out a great deal of research into the latest developments. The flexo imager manufacturer that constantly came out ahead of everyone else in terms of providing the best package of productivity, quality, service and price was ThermoFlexX.

“Even though there were no ThermoFlexX imagers in the UK we felt confident from our dealings with the company that we would be given excellent training and after-sales support. Our faith was well founded. ThermoFlexX delivered the imager during December along with a RIP and the necessary software and by Christmas we were in full production. It was pretty seamless.

“The results have been astounding. Not only has the quality of the image on the plate taken a huge jump forward, we are able to turn work around much more quickly, while makeready and start-up waste on the presses has also been reduced significantly. From receipt of a PDF file we can get the job on the press in less than an hour, often despatching the completed order within a couple of hours of receiving the digital file.”

ThermoFlexX manufactures the only flexo imagers on the market that offer five separate output resolutions and Mission Labels chose to have 2,540 dpi and 5,080 dpi on its machine. The company has already produced labels using 5,080 dpi, which is the highest resolution available on any flexo imager, allowing screen rulings of 250 lpi for fine detailed work including demanding vignettes.

ThermoFlexX imagers utilise IPG fibre lasers operating at 1,064 nm, which combine low energy consumption with high reliability. They can expose any plate with a LAM layer such as flexo, letterpress and dry offset, as well as Gallus Screeny (digital screen) and ablative film. The imagers accept 1-bit TIFF files generated by any workflow, RIP or front-end and will handle any innovative screens such as hybrid or surface screens. ThermoFlexX imagers also support all relevant technologies such as flat top dots.

“The extensive research and development work that we have carried out over the last couple of years, along with the enormous expansion of our ability to provide local support to customers on an international scale, has resulted in a huge rise in interest in the ThermoFlexX imager range,” says Christophe Lievens, director sales and marketing for basysPrint and ThermoFlexX. “Interest has been strong throughout Europe and we expect to be announcing more orders and installations in the coming months.”