The new plates would result in no board crush, fewer flute marks, good ink density, for the ultimate in post-print flexographic quality
Soft base material ensures full ink transfer for CleanPrint results. (Credit: Asahi Photoproducts.)
Japan-based flexographic photopolymer plate developer Asahi has rolled out its new flexographic plate, dubbed AFP-Leggero CleanPrint, specifically for printing on low-quality corrugated boards.
The super-soft plate delivers kiss-touch printing without board crush, good ink density with reduced washboard effect, and is ideal for simple brown-box corrugated applications such as fruit trays and single-colour logotype printing.
Asahi Photoproducts technical marketing manager Dieter Niederstadt said: “With the growing use of corrugated board packaging around the globe, brands and retailers increasingly seek ways to increase quality appearance and protect their goods at the same time.
“Asahi’s AFP-Leggero flexographic printing plates deliver both higher quality and better protection of the product by not damaging the corrugated box flute structure. This is a very new approach inside Asahi, not only to focus on print quality aspects, but also to add value for protection of the packaged goods.”
Unlike conventional plates, AFP-Leggero does not require frequent cleaning
The company said that its CleanPrint plates have been specifically engineered to transfer all remaining ink to the printed substrate, and the CleanPrint effect is achieved due to the base material of the soft plate.
The CleanPrint plates, including AFP-Leggero, are not required to be cleaned as often as conventional digital solvent plates, resulting in improved productivity along with consistent quality.
In addition, the company claimed that its new plates will facilitate up to 15% improvement in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) for packaging converters when used for corrugated post-print
Niederstadt added: “With AFP-Leggero’s soft-touch kiss printing, not only is the historical problem of board crush and washboarding virtually eliminated due to the softness of this plate, but there is also virtually no dot bridging and good ink laydown.
“That means that areas of solid colour as well as highlight areas are clean and crisp, as are fine lines and smaller type. This is the ideal plate for corrugated board post-print and will enable packaging converters to broaden the range of applications they can produce for customers, especially those that are not willing to sacrifice quality.”