Fujifilm unveils five new products at Labelexpo Europe 2019

At Labelexpo Europe 2019 on stand 9A34, Fujifilm is showcasing new products designed to help label converters optimize their existing flexo presses, including enhancements to the company’s water-washable flexo plate and processing systems, together with new LED UV curing and imprinting systems.

Fujifilm’s new Aquarius water treatment system

Showing for the first time will be Flenex FW-FP, Fujifilm’s new water-washable plate for flexible packaging, joined by the upgraded SB-938 FLW water-washable plate processor and the new Aquarius water treatment system. New Sericol JJ LED UV flexo ink and JF indirect food packaging compliant UV cured inks are also being displayed alongside Fujifilm's Illumina cold cure LED UV system and additional new ACTIV LED UV system, while a new industrial imprinting system will also be showcased at the exhibition.

Nills Gottfried, segment product marketing manager at Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe, said: ‘This year’s Labelexpo promises to be an exciting one for Fujifilm. We’re delighted to be presenting a range of new products for the labelling market, alongside established products many visitors may still wish to learn more about. All are designed to ensure the highest quality label production achieved in the most efficient, profitable and eco-friendly way possible.‘

Water-wash plate and plate processing equipment

Fujifilm’s new Flenex FW-FP plate is claimed to feature all the benefits of the FW-L2 plate as well as added solvent resistance, reduced curling effect and a thicker polyester base of 188µm.

SB-938 FLW is Fujifilm’s semi-automatic water-washable plate processor designed to provide efficient plate handling. In combination with Fujifilm’s Flenex FW plates, the SB-938 FLW processor offers platemaking times of under 40 minutes. 

Gottfried said: ‘Our upgraded SB-938, with its best-in-class waste water capabilities, is a prime example of Fujifilm’s desire to manufacture products that support the ever evolving environmental requirements demanded by the industry. It has an array of new features, including a washing section which minimizes water use during rinsing, a liftable brush frame providing easier access for cleaning and a unique remote diagnostic service, to name a few.‘

Rounding off Fujifilm’s new flexographic equipment is the new Aquarius water treatment system. Used in combination with either the C-Touch or SB-938 water-wash flexo plate processors, Aquarius is claimed to reduce water usage, prolong the bath life and reduce waste water and processor cleaning times.

In combination, Fujifilm’s newest Flenex plate, processor and water treatment system can help label converters reduce water use while also ensuring that their equipment functions effectively.

UV LED systems and inks

Fujifilm is also launching a new UV LED retrofit curing system called Activ, which allows any traditional UV flexo press to be converted to UV LED curing. ‘Activ takes advantage of the very latest LED UV curing technologies, along with Fujifilm’s ink expertise, to deliver an industrial, reliable curing system with none of the disadvantages of higher power and higher temperature conventional UV lamps,‘ said Gottfried. ‘Activ accelerates productivity, as well as offering quality improvements, greater application versatility, cost and material savings, and reduced environmental impact.‘ 

The new LED UV curing system will be demonstrated alongside the established Illumina LED UV curing system.

Launched in tandem with Activ is Fujifilm’s new Sericol JJ UV LED flexo ink and Sericol JF indirect food packaging compliant UV cured ink. Both are designed for use with the Illumina and Activ UV LED curing systems, as well as most other curing systems. The Sericol JF flexo UV ink is formulated to comply with Swiss Ordinance SR 817.023.21 and Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks 02-2014 and EC Regulation on GMP 2003/2006, making it suitable for indirect food packaging, in accordance with EuPIA guidelines. 

As a technical preview, Fujifilm’s new Industrial Imprinting System offers variable data printing at industrial production speeds. Fujifilm’s new imprinting system is claimed to be highly productive and can be fully integrated into existing packing or filling line equipment. Using Fujifilm’s inkjet technology, the imprinting system can print images or information as text, logos, QR or barcodes, or any other customized data.