Anilox supplier and flexo education champion Harper Corporation of America has donated a FlexSys Press Simulator and a Macintosh computer with monitor to Fort Mill High School in Fort Mill, SC, USA.

“We are absolutely thrilled to get these machines!” says Jerry Howell, graphic communications teacher at Fort Mill High School. “Harper has always been very generous to us and supportive of our program with the donation of its high quality anilox rolls. The addition of this gift gives our program a real leg up.”

“It’s very exciting to support the expansion of this flexo program,” said Margaret Harper Kluttz, president of Harper Corporation. “Giving back to flexography by helping to create a trained workforce is a priority for Harper Corporation.”

The FlexSys Press Simulator is a diagnostic and training program that utilizes custom-designed software to simulate any flexographic printing press, and allows students to interactively practice problem-solving techniques. A monitoring and cost analysis feature allows for a correlation of effective press utilization with production economies. Dual computer monitors display the press controls and the printed product during the simulated press run. Harper Corporation was a guiding force in the development of this training tool.

Harper Corporation and the Harper family have supported flexo education for years. Founders Ron and Katherine Harper helped pilot the first Flexo in High Schools program (now Flexo in Education) in the early 1990s, filling a void in vocational education for youth and establishing a trained future workforce for flexography. Earlier this year, Ron Harper established the “Katherine Harper Teacher’s Education Fund” through the Phoenix Challenge Foundation.