Reproflex expands ‘best in class’ platemaking offering with investment in second Esko CDI Crystal XPS line

Reproflex Scandinavia A/S (Reproflex) has boosted its production capacity with the latest developments in hardware and software technology from Esko, adding a second CDI Crystal 5080 XPS to its platemaking facility in Denmark.

Reproflex, the first platemaking and prepress specialist in the region to achieve ‘best in class’ certification under the XPS Crystal Program from Esko, added the new line to its existing workflow just three years after first acquiring the state-of-the art technology.

“Since 2020, we have used the combination of integrated Esko software and hardware to deliver plates that surpass all our customers’ expectations,” said Thomas Borge Christensen, CEO of Reproflex. “We are delighted to now announce this significant milestone, making a strategic investment in our commitment to delivering excellence to our customers by acquiring our second Crystal/XPS line from Esko.

“Over the past three years, our print house partners and their clients have enjoyed the exceptional quality and reliability delivered by this technology,” he said. “This new investment enhances our backup capabilities and delivery reliability while extending the opportunity for our clients to transition to Crystal.”

Supplying flexo plates to more than 16 countries for a diverse range of customers, including brand owners, Reproflex uses the combination of the Esko CDI 5080 Crystal plate imager, the XPS 5080 Crystal exposure unit and award-winning Print Control Wizard software to optimize the quality of its plate production. The investment enables Reproflex to streamline its flexo platemaking with a more efficient workflow, while also producing plates of a superior quality.

“The benefits of the Crystal technology are significant, including higher density with reduced ink consumption and fewer stops for cleaning on the printing press,” added Thomas. “This translates into superior print quality for brand owners and a more economically viable solution for print houses.

“What’s more, the XPS technology is the only GreenCircle certified unit on the market, emphasizing our commitment to more sustainable production. This is a crucial factor for us, guiding our investments and aligning with our customers' values,” he said.

Last year, Reproflex became the first business in the region to become certified under the XPS Crystal Program from Esko. The accreditation means Reproflex customers now benefit from an extra level of quality assurance, with the confidence that best practice in production processes ensures consistency and quality of final print. As an accredited business, Reproflex also benefits from benchmarking and identification of best practice around quality control processes and production efficiency.

Mike Ball, Esko Regional Sales Manager, said it had been a pleasure to extend the relationship with the Reproflex team with the latest installation. “With the CDI Crystal 5080 XPS at the heart of the plate room, manual steps are significantly reduced, which leads to a reduction in errors and ultimately less plate waste, as well as delivering efficiency gains through requiring less operator time,” he said. “The integration of our workflow solutions and hardware technology means that Thomas and the team are completely in control of the quality and performance of their plates and subsequent print consistency.”

With two facilities in Denmark, Reproflex specializes in services covering the entire value chain from design, artwork, prepress, proofing, color management and flexo plate production. The company uses the full Esko ecosystem of software from design through to production, before the plates are produced using the industry leading Esko CDI 5080 Crystal plate imager and the XPS 5080 Crystal exposure unit.

“With its first complete Esko in-line set-up, Reproflex was already able to supply the highest quality plates, even more efficiently,” added Mike. “The addition of this second complete line means they can effectively double capacity and productivity, without compromising on the quality for which they are renowned.”

Combining UV main and back exposure, the award-winning Esko XPS Crystal exposure unit uses LEDs which do not require warm-up time and emit consistently stable light, producing excellent consistency of plate quality. The XPS Crystal flexo imaging unit has achieved both Certified Energy Savings and Dematerialization certifications from GreenCircle - an internationally recognized third-party certification entity that independently verifies the validity of sustainability claims.

Following months of testing, measuring and detailed customer reports, GreenCircle validated Esko claims that the XPS Crystal delivers energy savings of 41% for tradeshops and savings of 59% for converters. In terms of broader environmental sustainability, the Esko XPS Crystal also achieved Dematerialization certification, with GreenCircle validating a staggering 92% reduction in waste - and 100% removal of hazardous waste - over the lifetime of the machine.