MPH cuts plate drying time with Asahi

UK flexographic pre-press specialist MPH has adopted Asahi Photoproducts' AFP-Revo HF solvent-wash flexographic plate, reporting a reduction in drying time from approximately 120 minutes to around 60 minutes alongside solvent savings of at least 20 percent based on the faster developing process.

MPH, which has more than four decades of experience supplying flexographic plates, rotary screen cylinders and reprographics services to label printers and packaging groups across the UK and Ireland, introduced AFP-Revo HF to improve production efficiency and turnaround times without compromising print quality. The company has invested more than 750,000 GBP in modernizing its production environment in recent years, including new plate developers, an additional CDI imager and LED exposure technology.

The shorter drying cycle has reduced MPH's dependence on thermal plate production for urgent jobs, with AFP-Revo HF now handling more fast-turnaround work while maintaining solvent-wash print performance. Washout speed has also improved by 20 percent within MPH's existing workflow. The company is also evaluating Asahi's CleanPrint technology for cleaner plate performance over longer print runs.

'AFP-Revo HF has slotted in well alongside the investments we've already made in imaging and LED exposure,' said Craig Alderson, director of MPH. 'It is a very strong product and a great fit for where we're trying to take the business: better quality, faster service and more efficient production.'

'Technologies that reduce processing time while maintaining premium print quality help repro houses respond more quickly to changing customer demands,' noted Dieter Niederstadt, technical marketing manager at Asahi Photoproducts Europe. 'AFP-Revo HF was developed to support exactly this balance.'