Nägele Digital Repro expands platemaking capabilities

Flexcel NX accounts for almost 90 percent of all photopolymer plates produced by Nägele. These are mainly destined for customers producing flexible packaging for food and cosmetics. 

‘By expanding our portfolio with Flexcel NX Ultra, we gained a solvent-free alternative for plate processing, allowing our clients the option of a water-processed plate while they can continue enjoying all of the quality and efficiency benefits Flexcel NX plate technology is known for,’ said Michael Nägele, managing director of Nägele Digital Repro.

According to Nägele, the shorter platemaking time of well under an hour is one of Flexcel NX Ultra's key advantages and makes a big difference for its customers. 

‘Speed is always an advantage, of course. That could prove to be a big asset for us in certain situations, for instance, if a plate is damaged when it is mounted in the print shop and needs to be replaced immediately,’ added Nägele. ‘Flexcel NX Ultra helps us reduce our use of solvent so that we only rarely have to switch on our solvent recovery system, which is very energy-intensive. That takes our production process an important step forward towards a more sustainable footprint.’

According to the company, the initial feedback from printers confirms that the NX Ultra plates are convincing on press with their excellent ink transfer precision thanks to the flat top dot technology combined with advanced plate patterning options and significantly longer runs before the need for plate cleaning. 

‘Added to that, the Flexcel NX Ultra plates provide exceptional registration accuracy. In 7-color ECG printing, that's quintessential. In the race to establish this technology in the German market, we were keen to be among the front runners once again. Thanks to Miraclon, it now enables us to take the next step in continuing to drive the transformation of flexo.’