MPH invests in Miraclon LED kit

UK-based flexo pre-press specialist MPH has installed the Shine LED Lamp Kit from Miraclon on its Vianord plate exposure unit, as part of a capital investment program totaling more than 750,000 GBP since its management buyout in 2020.

The retrofit, supplied and installed by Clarkson Services, has reduced exposure times by an average of 30 percent and now covers more than 80 percent of plates processed at the Manningtree, Essex facility, across substrates from multiple suppliers.

The Shine LED Lamp Kit consists of new LED UVA lamps, a prewired bracket kit and installation guidelines, and is designed as a vendor-neutral retrofit to existing third-party fluorescent exposure frames. Unlike fluorescent technology, LED lamps require no warm-up time prior to back-flashing and do not degrade over time, eliminating the need for annual bulb replacement.

The investment in the Shine kit forms part of a broader upgrade program that also includes a second Esko CDI imaging unit, a new flexo plate processing line, and a comprehensive suite of Esko hardware and software upgrades.

'In flexo printing, removing variables is often more valuable than chasing headline speed,' said Ian Runacres, director of MPH. 'The investment is about protecting repeatability, reducing risk on press, and supporting customers who need plates to behave the same way every time. Exposures are consistent, and plate behavior is utterly predictable.'