Esko has announced that its XPS Crystal flexo plate Exposure Unit has received the 2018 EFIA Gold Award for Technical Innovation. The EFIA Awards were held at The Vox Centre in Birmingham, UK on Wednesday March 14. The Gold Award was presented to Robert Bruce of Esko by Paula Birch, sales director at Parkside Flexibles.

Esko’s XPS Crystal technology continues to receive global recognition from the industry. Esko won several awards in 2017, including the PIA InterTech Technology Award in Ohio and the FTA Award for Technical Innovation in Phoenix, AZ, USA, as well as the 2017 Red Dot Award for Product Design presented by Design Zentrum, Nordheim Westfaln, Germany.

The XPS Crystal is a digitally controlled LED UV exposure unit providing near concurrent back and main exposure to deliver excellent relief and image consistency with perfectly formed flat-top dots. Integrated with Esko’s CDI Imager, it becomes an automated system and simplifies flexo platemaking.

Debbie Waldron-Hoines, CEO of EFIA, states, “We awarded the coveted Supplier of the Year Award for Technical Innovation to Esko as the XPS Crystal Exposure Unit brings huge advantages to the flexo printing community. Removing complexity through automation is a game changer for our industry.”

“Winning EFIA’s Gold Award for Technical Innovation was a very proud moment for Esko and the UK team,” adds James Mason, Esko’s UK sales manager. “The UK market has always had a reputation as early adopters of Esko’s latest technologies associated with furthering quality and consistency in flexo print. We are delighted that EFIA has recognized Esko’s XPS Crystal as the next step in the journey towards superior flexographic platemaking. Esko is setting new standards in the market place.”

Esko has partnered with EFIA for many years. The flexographic organization supports Esko’s UK based supply chain customers through nationally accredited training programs. Esko has been instrumental in compiling part of the syllabus and also offers trainees a full day’s tuition on the topic of origination – teaching delegates how artwork is engineered to produce the highest quality flexo print though industry standard solutions, including software, imaging systems and now the XPS Crystal LED exposure technology.