As digital printing has become all the rage in the labels and packaging space, flexo still accounts for roughly 90% of printed labels. It is not a technology of the past, and that mantra took center stage at the Kodak VIP Flexo Summit. Kodak executives discussed their strategy, the state of flexography and their newest products at the event, which took place from October 17-18, 2018, in Orlando, FL, USA.

In addition, Kodak treated attendees to a guided tour of the IGT facility in nearby Lakeland, FL. IGT (International Game Technology) has emerged as a key Kodak partner, utilizing the company’s new Flexcel NX Ultra solution to drive its scratch-off lottery games.

Kodak’s new integrated, solvent-free and VOC-free platemaking system helps IGT achieve its green initiative, the company said.

“I personally believe that flexo, especially in package printing, has a tremendous opportunity as we move forward,” said Chris Payne, president of Kodak’s flexographic packaging division. “I think that’s going to take us forward for several decades with growth.”

Kodak introduced its Flexcel NX solution over 10 years ago at drupa 2008. The Flexcel NX solution, in 2008 and today, strives to bring efficiency, consistency and high quality to flexo platemaking. The company’s Thermal Imaging Layer (TIL) combined with Flexcel NX to deliver a 1:1 reproduction of a digital file to a press-ready plate.

Kodak, whose product is sold worldwide in 70 countries, has nearly 6,000 employees, 320 of whom work in the company’s packaging department. According to Payne, Kodak continues to invest in its people, as it is adding–on average–one employee per week. Kodak’s product is primarily targeted to labels and flexible packaging printers, but Payne acknowledged that it is exploring the corrugated and folding carton markets, as well.

With the packaging market growing from 4-5% across multiple sectors, Kodak saw an opportunity to disrupt the flexo marketplace.

“We provide technology, but just providing plate technology doesn’t enable that transformation,” explained Emma Schlotthauer, global marketing for flexo at Kodak. “The process relies on multiple variables coming together. Quality and productivity are not mutually exclusive. Having quality doesn’t help anybody from a production perspective. It has to be able to support high productivity and production rates, as well as standardization.”

Kodak has seen recent success with multiple customers. A new case study shows that the Kodak Flexcel NX Ultra product line helped a converter reduce downtime from 60-65% to 50%, with an ultimate goal of 45%. The converter reduced printed waste from 12% to 7%.

Another brand, Nomad Foods in Europe, sought to standardize print quality across multiple facility locations. After conducting an 18-month company audit, Nomad encountered a mindset change, learning that flexo plates make a significant difference in quality and efficiency. Nomad experienced a 50% increase in tonal reproduction, increased color gamut, and reduced costs and carbon footprint with Kodak.

Kodak’s new Flexcel NX Ultra solution looked to answer several industry challenges: consistency and predictability; ink transfer; and the aqueous processing challenge. With TIL, Kodak can develop a high-resolution mask, which is designed to eliminate inconsistencies in mask imaging.

According to Payne, TIL requires 3-4 times less energy to image than a LAMS layer, and it uses multi thin-layer coating technology on PET to enable clean, crisp and consistent thermal ablation. Additionally, advanced Digicap NX patterning and advanced edge definition technology help with ink transfer. Finally, in a plate processing environment, debris often undermines the process. Kodak’s Ultra Clean technology restores the integrity of the process while operating in an environmentally-friendly manner.

The new Flexcel NX Ultra can make plates in less than an hour, with 25 plates produced in an 8-hour shift.

At IGT, Hector Elias, senior manager, production and warehouse, and Rob Anderson, director of production and planning, guided Summit attendees through the company’s plant, showcasing the detailed steps necessary to print instant scratch-off tickets. They also explained how Kodak’s technology has enabled a more efficient printing process while helping to meet environmental goals.

IGT features a 22-station Gallus printing press and a Tresu press to accomplish its vast printing needs. The Tresu press became operational in January of 2018 and highlighted a $15 million upgrade in printing technology. In 2017, IGT ran 633 games, and the company is on pace to produce another 760 games in 2018. This equates to nearly 8.5 billion standard units, and IGT anticipates printing more than nine billion units in 2019.

In addition to time savings and print quality, Elias emphasized Kodak’s ability to meet his company’s sustainability objectives. “One of the greatest industries is the lottery industry. Every year since I’ve been here we’ve gotten bigger and bigger,” he noted. “We’re constantly improving, and that’s why it’s been exciting working with Kodak and their water-wash system. That helps with our environmental goals.”

IGT made the switch from Kodak Flexcel NX to Flexcel NX Ultra. Anderson added, “Ultimately, knowing we wouldn’t have to deal with solvent-based processing was very appealing to us.”

In order to continue promoting its technological developments, Kodak has donated a Flexcel NX solution to Stuttgart Media University in Germany. In addition, the inaugural Kodak Global Flexo innovation Awards will recognize companies using Kodak prepress products to drive the future of flexo. Those interested in applying have until December 31, 2018, to submit their entries.