Ukranian printer, Ukrpol Printing Company, has brought flexographic platemaking in-house by installing a Flexcel NX Wide 4260 system from Miraclon.
The platemaking system – supplied by Uniprint, the Miraclon representative in Ukraine – is part of an investment in wide-web flexo production at Ukrpol. The company recently installed a 670mm wide press, with a wider 1300mm press due to be installed soon. The Flexcel NX system and presses are located in a new dedicated flexo facility at Ukrpol’s plant in Stryi, in the Lviv region of Western Ukraine.
Producing packaging for brands in a range of sectors, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and household products, the company offers four different print options, with gravure and offset collectively making up 70% of production, flexo 25% and digital 5%. However, technical director, Andriy Boichuk, said the company identified an opportunity to increase flexo’s proportion.
He stated, ‘There are applications suited to each process, but the conditions are right for flexo to take a bigger share. Shorter run-lengths and tighter delivery deadlines play to its strengths and give it an edge over a process like gravure. It’s also a more sustainable process. So, we are seeing cost- and time- and sustainability-conscious customers shifting packaging to flexo from gravure.’
Mr Boichuk expects this trend to continue and has credited Flexcel NX technology with making a major contribution to flexo’s transformation into a modern production process for high-quality packaging.
Prior to the purchase, Ukrpol conducted a diligent search, looking at systems from a variety of suppliers, ultimately deciding on Miraclon’s system. Mr Boichuk said the heritage of the Flexcel NX system was a driver in the decision making, believing it is a ‘superior’ technology option that delivers the best on-press efficiency benefits for the company.
