One of the early adopters of the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processing System, Label Tech Inc. of Somersworth, NH, USA, was intrigued with the synergistic approach taken by Flint Group in the development of its thermal plate processor. Label Tech had been experiencing difficulties with its current platemaking system and needed a more reliable solution for the production of its premium quality, pressure sensitive labels. 

For customer-centric Label Tech, ensuring on-time deliveries with top quality products was a must-solve issue. The company therefore decided to consider a new nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor, which replaced an existing system that lacked support and was causing delays in production. “Like any label shop, we have some very demanding deadlines. We were running into delays because we’d have an issue with the plate processor but could not get the response we needed,” explains Jonathan Routhier, prepress manager at Label Tech. “Deadlines don’t stop.”

The Technologies Team of Anderson & Vreeland (A&V), a distributor of Flint Group, and A&V regional manager Peter Spain recommended the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor. “It is a similar concept to our older machine, but the Xpress is a modern design that uses a system of plate materials and other consumables that are meant to work together,” explains Routhier. “We find the plates do a better job of transferring ink to the substrates so colors are more saturated, and there is also less plate distortion.”

Label Tech press operators also like that the plates used in the nyloflex Xpress Processor are more durable. “The other plates almost had to be babied, handled with extra care,” says Routhier. “For example, they had to be stored with a foam layer between plates because they were soft and could easily be dented or damaged. The plates used in the Flint system don’t require as much special handling.”

With a fleet of flexographic presses on the shop floor, the decision to change plate processors had to be carefully thought out. The process began with conference calls and virtual demonstrations of how the new processor would work in Label Tech’s plant. Then came a trip to Labelexpo 2016 in Chicago, IL to see the machine up close and personal. “The A&V technologies team was right there with us to answer questions and make sure we understood everything we needed to know,” recounts Routhier. “Then we sent in files to make sure plates we’d be producing would meet our needs. When we saw that they did; we made the decision.”

Since the new machine came online over a year ago, day-to-day advantages have shown up as better productivity along with fewer registration issues, because plates need less on-press adjusting. “The nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor goes to work faster and more easily than the machine it replaced,” says Routhier. “Customers don’t necessarily notice the difference, but with the nyloflex Xpress Processor we definitely see a difference in the quality of the labels we produce.”