Köstlin expands flexo production with Flexcel NX investment

Germany-based Köstlin Prepress Services, a supplier of flexo printing plates to packaging printers who mainly produce flexible packaging, has invested in Flexcel NX technology from Miraclon to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs and improve customer service.

Köstlin experienced significant growth during 2024, which managing director Marc Talmon Gros attributes to brands launching new products and designs, as well as new customers with a highly diversified SKU portfolio who appreciate the benefits of the central repro service offered by Köstlin.

Köstlin has relied on Flexcel NX technology from Miraclon for more than 12 years, and supplies customers with solvent-based Flexcel NXH plates and water-wash Flexcel NX Ultra plates. Produced on a Flexcel NX Wide 4260 imaging system, they now account for over 75 percent of the company's total flexo plate production.

‘Last year, Flexcel NX plate production increased by more than 10 percent, while plates from other manufacturers have stagnated,’ explains Talmon Gros. ‘Flexcel NX plates are still regarded as the gold standard for printers producing flexible packaging at a high, demanding production level and where they need to maximize efficiency and productivity without impacting quality or cost.’

In November 2024, Köstlin invested in a Flexcel NX Ultra 42 Processing System, replacing the smaller NX Ultra 35 System it installed several years ago. This now allows Köstlin to produce Flexcel NX Ultra plates up to 1,067 x 1,524 mm in size.

‘With 50 percent more surface area, the Flexcel NX Ultra 42 Processing System enables us to use the plate material much better. For example, when producing a bag for garden soil, previously, only one color of the motif would fit on a plate, and around 35 to 40 percent of the surface area would be unused. We can now better optimize plate layout to minimize wastage,’ commented Talmon Gros. ‘With the larger format unit, we can easily produce 16 Flexcel NX Ultra plates in an eight-hour shift. I also expect us to reduce our solvent consumption even further. This year, we plan to increase the share of Flexcel NX Ultra Plates from 20 to over 30 percent of the total Flexcel plates portfolio.’

According to Talmon Gros the company’s use of PureFlexo printing for both Flexcel NXH and Flexcel NX Ultra plates is also continuously increasing.

‘Over the last year and a half, we have reprinted our standard test form with Flexcel plates for the majority of our customers, and PureFlexo Printing with its multi-form surface patterning has proven to be the most suitable for controlling ink transfer and dot gain for most of them,’ explained Talmon Gros.

Köstlin now produces almost 70 percent of its Flexcel NX plates with PureFlexo Printing.

Kostlin also invested in a Shine LED Lamp Kit, which Miraclon innovated, to convert its large-format fluorescent exposure unit. A local electrician replaced the UV fluorescent tubes with Shine LED lamps, which took less than a day.

‘It was a relatively low investment with little conversion work, which has brought us great benefits,’ said Talmon Gros. ‘The lower energy consumption, significantly longer service life and constant output of LED are clear advantages over conventional UV fluorescent tubes. Compared to the previous fluorescent tubes and our other fluorescent exposure frame, which works with scanning LED imaging, we save around ten minutes per plate. That's incredible. On top of that, the Shine LED lamps don't need to be warmed up like the fluorescent tubes for us to start exposure. This may only save us 10-12 minutes, but that’s every day. Given our increasing productivity with Flexcel NX platemaking, this investment enables us to avoid a potential bottleneck which was sure to happen with fluorescent exposure.

‘We find the partnership and the professional support we receive from Miraclon to be very positive. What's great is that in recent years we've been able to consistently grab the attention of the market with new technology from Miraclon and secure additional business without overwhelming our customers with the changes. That's a win-win situation - for us and for our customers.’