Flexocolor invests in Shine LED Lamp Kits from Miraclon

Spanish pre-press provider Flexocolor has switched to 100 percent LED plate exposure with the installation of two Shine LED Lamp Kits, innovated by Miraclon.

Flexocolor installed Spain’s first Flexcel NX wide system in 2012 and was the first trade shop in the country to offer its customers increased productivity and reduced downtime with PureFlexo Printing from Miraclon in 2021.

‘The purpose of our ongoing investment in innovative technology is to ensure we always offer our customers the best efficiency, repeatability, and consistent quality in flexo plate production,’ said Vicente Belda, owner of Flexocolor. ‘LED technology is by far the most dependable exposure process, so it’s a logical addition to our capabilities.

‘With the Shine LED Lamp Kit, we are producing plates 15 percent quicker than we did with our fluorescent units, the results are more consistent, and power consumption is lower. Having LED also dispels my concerns about the future of fluorescent exposure, which I believe is an outdated technology.’

Vicente describes the Shine LED Lamp Kit as the most cost-effective route into LED exposure because it can be retrofitted to existing exposure units.

‘Effectively, we’ve been able to get two LED units for less than the price of one new system,’ said Belda.

After initially investing in a Shine LED Lamp Kit earlier this year, Flexocolor signed up for the second kit at Drupa.

‘Our customers’ reactions to our first Shine LED lamp kit were very positive. They commented on the excellent, even more consistent performance of the Flexcel NX Plates on the press, particularly the excellent ink transfer. So, they welcomed our decision to install a second unit, guaranteeing uniformity in our plate production; every customer can expect the same consistent, high-quality plate.’

According to Miraclon, the Shine LED Lamp Kit can be retrofitted in the field in a few hours for a fraction of the cost of a new LED exposure unit; users benefit from consistent, predictable intensity over a much longer operating life (more than 5,000 hours compared to 800 hours for fluorescent tubes), faster exposures, and enhanced sustainability performance.

These features won the Shine LED Lamp Kit a unique double at this year’s FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards in North America, winning top awards for Sustainability and Technical Innovation, and more recently the German FTA (DFTA) Sustainability Technology Award.