Mark Andy upgrades University press

Mark Andy has added two printing units and a die cutting station to the model 2200 flexo press installed at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The press is used to support the University’s ‘hands-on’ Graphic Communication (GrC) major, where flexo is now taught as a standalone course.
‘We are making several changes to the curriculum, mainly because flexography has changed,’ stated Dr. Keif, department chair for the GrC department. ‘The quality is better than it has ever been and the applications for flexography are growing, in some cases even into areas that would have only been applicable for offset in the past. In addition to labels, we are seeing flexo presses producing all kinds of packaging from film-based products like bags to expensive high quality folding cartons.’
Dr Keif sees new technologies like RFID, printable batteries, laser die cutting and digital printing as future growth markets for flexography. ‘We educate our students about these technologies as they emerge in commercial markets and in some cases before,’ says Dr Keif.
Along with the modernized Mark Andy 2200 press, the University’s equipment includes a DuPont FAST thermal processor and a range of specialized flexo kit.