Esko simplifies flexo plate production, unlocks value of data with new My Devices on Cloud

Esko continues to simplify processes and deliver value to flexo plate manufacturers with its latest innovation, My Devices on Cloud, connecting all its flexographic devices to the cloud as the next step in its vision of a digitized plate room.

Unveiled today (30 August), the new tool uses IoT concepts and technology to enable any CDI imager or XPS exposure unit to be accessed from within the Esko Cloud, enabling users to directly read status and performance data. “Instead of spending hours every day collecting, cleaning and storing production data to enable business intelligence, production managers and plate room specialists can now gain access to real-time operational data through an intuitive, cloud-hosted dashboard,” said Jan De Roeck, Esko Director of Industry Relations & Strategic Marketing.

“Plant managers and production specialists now have a single source of truth of data about their plate room equipment,” he said. “It just became a lot easier to turn data into insight and information for a production manager.”

With the new innovation, any Esko CDI or XPS in the plate room appears as a selectable asset in the ‘My Devices’ tab in the dashboard deployed on Esko Cloud. “Using the new dashboard, businesses can now forecast utilization, uncover bottlenecks in the plate room, reduce unplanned downtime and benchmark production against peers,” added Jan. “Remote monitoring further enhances real-time visibility and control over the entire plate making process, delivering not only efficiency gains and improved productivity, but fewer errors and therefore less waste.”

Esko stores all critical CDI and XPS data in a secure cloud environment, which recently attained SOC Type 2 certification shortly after also achieving the international standard on information security management, ISO 27001, following a perfect 100% assessment of its policies and procedures. “Cloud storage and access allows the seamless access and transfer of plate and job-linked information, not only throughout departmental users but also across sites,” said Jan. “What’s more, with all critical device settings now automatically backed-up, the risk of data loss due to an unexpected event is significantly reduced, making disaster recovery easier and simplifying business continuation management.”

My Devices on Cloud is available for all existing Esko customers with a premium/parts care plan, and the backend agent can be installed remotely or during a preventative maintenance intervention for CDIs already installed in the field.

To learn more about My Devices on Cloud, visit the Esko team at Labelexpo, 11-14 September 2023, at booth #C60 in Hall 3 of the Brussels Expo. Esko will be joined by X-Rite Pantone at this year’s event, where visitors will see first-hand how a connected ecosystem of automated workflow, color management, flexo platemaking, digital printing, and print inspection tools can deliver consistent performance and accelerate business growth.