Reproflex adds second Esko CDI Crystal XPS line

Reproflex Scandinavia (Reproflex) has boosted its production capacity by adding a second Esko CDI Crystal 5080 XPS to its platemaking facility in Denmark just three years after first acquiring the technology.  

Thomas Borge Christensen, CEO of Reproflex, said: ‘Since 2020, we have used the combination of integrated Esko software and hardware to deliver plates that surpass all our customers’ expectations. We are delighted to now announce this significant milestone, making a strategic investment in our commitment to delivering excellence to our customers by acquiring our second Crystal/XPS line from Esko. 

‘Over the past three years, our print house partners and their clients have enjoyed the exceptional quality and reliability delivered by this technology. This new investment enhances our backup capabilities and delivery reliability while extending the opportunity for our clients to transition to Crystal.’ 

Supplying flexo plates to more than 16 countries for a range of customers, including brand owners, Reproflex uses the combination of the Esko CDI 5080 Crystal plate imager, the XPS 5080 Crystal exposure unit and Print Control Wizard software to optimize the quality of its plate production. The investment enables Reproflex to streamline its flexo platemaking with an efficient workflow, while also producing plates of high quality.  

Christensen added: ‘The benefits of the Crystal technology are significant, including higher density with reduced ink consumption and fewer stops for cleaning on the printing press. This translates into superior print quality for brand owners and a more economically viable solution for print houses.  

‘What’s more, the XPS technology is the only GreenCircle certified unit on the market, emphasizing our commitment to more sustainable production. This is a crucial factor for us, guiding our investments and aligning with our customers' values.’  

In 2022, Reproflex became the first business in the region to become certified under the XPS Crystal Program from Esko. The accreditation means Reproflex extra level of quality assurance, with the confidence that best practice in production processes ensures consistency and quality of final print. As an accredited business, Reproflex also benefits from benchmarking and identification of best practice around quality control processes and production efficiency.  

Mike Ball, Esko regional sales manager, said it had been a pleasure to extend the relationship with the Reproflex team with the latest installation. ‘With the CDI Crystal 5080 XPS at the heart of the plate room, manual steps are significantly reduced, which leads to a reduction in errors and ultimately less plate waste, as well as delivering efficiency gains through requiring less operator time. The integration of our workflow solutions and hardware technology means that Thomas and the team are completely in control of the quality and performance of their plates and subsequent print consistency.’ 

The company uses the full Esko ecosystem of software from design through to production, before the plates are produced using the Esko CDI 5080 Crystal plate imager and the XPS 5080 Crystal exposure unit.  

Combining UV main and back exposure, the Esko XPS Crystal exposure unit uses LEDs which do not require warm-up time and emit consistently stable light, producing consistent plate quality. The XPS  

GreenCircle validated Esko claims that the XPS Crystal delivers energy savings of 41 percent for tradeshops and savings of 59 percent for converters. The Esko XPS Crystal has also achieved Dematerialization certification, with GreenCircle validating a 92 percent reduction in waste and 100 percent removal of hazardous waste over the lifetime of the machine.