Case Study
Leading UK label manufacturer adopts Fujifilm’s water washable Flenex FW Printing Plates following successful trial
Aztec Label
West Midlands, UK
Flenex FW
We already had a strong working relationship with Fujifilm, having used their inks for some time, and the Flenex trial was an instant success, immediately remedying the problems we were facing.
Colin Le Gresley | Managing Director, Aztec Label
Highlights
- The commitment follows a successful trial of the plates in May 2021
- Aztec Label credited the processor with further time savings to the platemaking process and said it is impressed with the performance of the inks
- The UK-based firm also invested in a Fujifilm C-Touch processor and new Fujifilm UV-LED JJ inks
- The company’s investment is helping it meet customers’ quality and speed of delivery demands
Established in 1993, Aztec Label manufactures a huge range of self-adhesive labels and tags in a variety of colours, sizes and quantities for customers in the UK and abroad. The company has been growing steadily since its founding and now employs 25 people at its West Midlands facility and turns over £3.6 million annually.
“The key demands our customers place on us are quality and speed of delivery,” says Colin Le Gresley, Managing Director, Aztec Label. “Whatever the industry, whether it’s food and beverage; pharma and medical; household and personal care; automotive or any number of other sectors – all of our customers are looking for consistently high-quality and reliable prompt deliveries. To make sure we’re meeting those expectations, we’re always on the lookout for technological solutions that will help us to improve, and that’s why we decided to trial Fujifilm’s Flenex FW water-washable plates.”
We achieved excellent plate washout in half the time with no sludge build up in the processor. Platemaking is faster now, and there are far fewer plate failures, so it was an easy decision
Colin Le Gresley | Managing Director, Aztec Label
“We’d been having some issues with the plate material from our previous supplier, and Fujifilm’s Flenex solution looked like a promising alternative to us. We already had a strong working relationship with Fujifilm, having used their inks for some time, and the Flenex trial was an instant success, immediately remedying the problems we were facing. We achieved excellent plate washout in half the time with no sludge build up in the processor. Platemaking is faster now, and there are far fewer plate failures, so it was an easy decision.”
Aztec is no stranger to water washable plate technology, having been making water wash plates for nearly a decade, part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and the environment. Aztec also made a massive investment in solar power several years ago with the installation of solar panels across the factory roof as part of a £250,000 refurbishment. The company was also an early adopter of the BPIF ‘Zero Labels 2 Landfill’ scheme in 2017. “The Flenex investment is yet another step in helping us to continue to be a sustainable pre-press and print supplier,” says Le Gresley.
A Fujifilm C-Touch processor and new Fujifilm UV-LED JJ inks also formed part of the investment. Le Gresley credits the processor with further time savings to the platemaking process and is impressed so far with the performance of the inks.
Flenex FW
Find out more about all the advantages of Fujifilm’s water-washable flexo plates
Discover Flenex FWFlenex FW
High quality water-washable flexographic plate range
Protect the planet and your profits
A water-washable, high quality flexo plate range that improves productivity while protecting the environment
Flenex FW is a water-washable flexo plate range that provides the ultimate combination of quality, productivity and sustainability, while significantly lowering the cost-in-use compared to solvent plate processing systems.
Up to
40 mins
platemaking time
High quality
200lpi
@ 4,400 dpi
Achieve
1%
flat top dot
Why Flenex FW?
Superb quality over longer runs with a consistent 200lpi at 4,400 dpi, 1% process dot structure
Better ink transfer for brighter print results, with crisper, cleaner edges and bright colours
Excellent plate durability and reduced plate swell increase press uptime, print runs and profitability
Avoid the cost of expensive solvent and thermal processors with Flenex FW, to achieve the lowest flexo plate production costs.
Freshen up your flexo plate making processes with unique benefits
The Flenex FW water-washable plate system does far more than simply eliminate the need for solvents and wicking cloths. It delivers longer runs while producing a consistent 200lpi at 4,400 dpi, 1% process dot structure for superb high quality print, depending on the conditions.
Flexible plate processing options
Fujifilm water-wash processors deliver optimum performance with Flenex FW. The C-Touch MK2 and SB938 plate processing systems offer high performance all-in-one processing for your Flenex water-washable plates, and both feature an extended bath life and efficient plate handling. Available for businesses of all sizes and easy to install, why not bring the whole production process in-house, with the reassurance that Fujifilm is there to help should you need it.
Water Filtration System
- The latest edition to the Fujifilm portfolio is the Water Filtration System, designed specifically to extend the bath life of SB938 and C-Touch MK2 processors, and reduce the amount of water required. Using this system results in a cleaner processor, extending the time between cleaning, allowing maintenance costs to be reduced, and improving environmental performance.
Higher productivity
Flenex FW water-washable plates reduce platemaking processing times to less than 40 minutes, 300% faster than leading solvent systems and 1.5 times faster than current thermal and water-wash technologies. Faster platemaking means more time on press and a dramatic increase in output per shift, freeing you to redeploy labour to more value added activities. Typical benefits include:
- Increase in number of plates produced
- Increase in quality
- Faster job turnaround
- Maximise press time
- Lower labour costs or opportunity to redeploy
- More environmentally friendly plate making
High quality print
The Flenex FW water-washable plate system does far more than simply eliminate the need for solvents and wicking cloths. It delivers longer runs while producing a consistent 200lpi at 4,400 dpi, 1% process dot structure for superb high quality print, depending on the conditions.
Flat top dot structure
The rubber-based compound means a 1% flat top dot can be achieved without complex systems to eliminate oxygen, and results in lower dot gain. In addition, better ink transfer produces noticeably cleaner and brighter print results.
Technology overview
Flenex FW photopolymer plates contain a special rubber-based compound that offers a number of inherent advantages over other elastomeric materials from which most other flexo plates are made. In particular, rubber is not oxygen sensitive, which minimises the effect oxygen in the air has on the dot shape and the complexity of the system to eliminate oxygen from the plate production process. The other advantages of a rubber-based plate material include:
- Reduced dot gain
- Better ink transfer for cleaner, brighter print results
- Faster exposure and washout times
- Much more durable
- Mild washout with water and dishwasher soap
- Reduced plate swell
We already had a strong working relationship with Fujifilm, having used their inks for some time, and the Flenex trial was an instant success, immediately remedying the problems we were facing.
Colin Le Gresley | Managing Director, Aztec Label
Sustainability
Less impact on the environment
The use of Flenex FW water-washable flexo printing plates has less impact on the environment, as processing is accomplished with only a mild detergent, and not working with solvents is a huge benefit from a health and safety perspective.
Learn more about sustainabilityThank you for your enquiry, someone will be in contact soon.
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