Asahi Kasei heads to Labelexpo Southeast Asia with sustainability message

Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in photopolymer plate development, is taking its sustainability message to Labelexpo Southeast Asia 2023 featuring AWP-DEW plates, which have achieved Carbon Neutral certification in Japan, the USA, China and Europe.

‘We are pleased to represent Asahi Photoproducts in Southeast Asia and to have its participation in our stand at Labelexpo Southeast Asia,’ said Jiraporn Tongtem, assistant product manager at Asahi Southeast Asia distributor BJC. ‘Based on our long-time relationship with Asahi, we know it will bring an exceptional level of knowledge and expertise to the event that all attendees will be able to benefit from as they pursue their own productivity, profitability and sustainability goals.’

‘At Labelexpo Southeast Asia, we will focus on the value of switching to Asahi CleanPrint water-washable plates, an environmentally sustainable solution that does not use a VOC-based washout and not only results in faster plate production but is also a key enabler in improving pressroom productivity,’ added Uina Kawashimo, Asahi sales representative for Southeast Asia.

At the show, Asahi Photoproducts representatives will also be discussing the company’s many years of working toward a more sustainable flexographic industry and the importance of setting a Carbon Neutral goal.

Asahi AWP water-washable flexographic plates are processed without VOC-based washout solvents and deliver a faster time to press than VOC solvent-based plates. The company’s CleanPrint water-washable plate technology delivers high-quality print performance thanks to its engineered photopolymer chemistry design. The water-wash technology also features a low surface energy plate resulting in fewer press stops for plate cleaning for significantly improved press efficiency and reduced press waste. These elements make them some of the most sustainable flexographic plates in the industry.

In addition, AWP-DEW plates deliver extremely high-quality print due to their precise registration and ability to deliver perfect printing balance between highlights and solids and full support for fixed color palette printing.

Asahi’s AWP-CleanFlat plates are also part of the CleanPrint family and will be on display at the show. Although they do not yet have Carbon Neutral certification, they have a reduced carbon footprint, especially when compared to solvent-wash flexo plates. These are out-of-the-box FlatTop plates with high-quality printing press consistency, improving the ink laydown on wide web flexible packaging and beverage carton printing. At the same time, they deliver a sustainable reduction of the printer’s carbon footprint, delivering stable printing quality even with rough surface substrates.

At the show, which is scheduled for February 2023 at the BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand, Asahi Kasei’s products will be presented on stand C60.