Dion Label invests in Kodak Flexcel NX Ultra

The Westfield, Massachusetts-based Dion Label has installed a Kodak Flexcel NX Ultra to produce products with much greater consistency while delivering higher print quality.

Brent Berthiaume, Dion Label pre-press manager

‘Brands, especially pharmaceuticals, are introducing more complex designs that demand tighter registration and color tolerances,’ said Brent Berthiaume, Dion Label pre-press manager. ‘We were struggling to achieve these consistently and needed to upgrade our equipment. The quality achieved with the Kodak Flexcel NX plates had been on our radar for some time, however, we were looking for a non-solvent technology. As soon as the aqueous Flexcel NX Ultra became available, we quickly made the switch from our thermal system.’

The installation process has been slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic, however, by the end of June 2020, the new system was up and running.  

‘The difference in press performance since the install of the Flexcel NX Ultra has been night-and-day,’ added Berthiaume. ‘The quality and color consistency we have now achieved allows for much higher throughput while achieving tighter registrations along with significantly less dot gain compared to our previous system.

‘This has all but eliminated the need for spare sets of plates on longer runs.  In addition, we now run our plates consistently at a higher line screen of 175+lpi, providing our customers with the highest quality product. This line screen matches our digital presses, providing a seamless transition between the two environments.’

‘Completely changing our plate-making system that had been in place for over 15 years was a significant risk. The Kodak Flexcel NX Ultra is already proving that the risk was not only worth it, but necessary,’ concluded Berthiaume.