Bioplast boosts packaging sales thanks to Mavigrafica and the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System

Italian packaging printer, Bioplast, and prepress and graphics service provider, Mavigrafica are enjoying a mutually beneficial commercial relationship after both companies turned to the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System.

Bioplast has operated in the plastic film packaging sector since the 1980s, and around ten years ago began producing biodegradable film and bags. A leader in its sector in southern Italy, the company’s clients include major brands in the food processing industry in Italy, France, Germany and the UK, who typically operate in the dairy, pasta, coffee roasting and confectionary fields, with average print runs ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 m per order.

Bioplast’s flagship installation is its printing department, which has three state-of-the-art UTECO central impression presses capable of a wide range of print applications, from one to ten colors on polypropylene (OPP, CPP, COEX), polyethylene, antifog, nylon, PET, PVC and PVDC.

Meanwhile, Mavigrafica produces Bioplast’s flexographic plates. Its prepress operation is equipped with the FLEXCEL NX System, which the company acquired a year ago. Mavigrafica was the first company in Italy to adopt the revolutionary technology and together with Bioplast has pioneered its use in wide web flexible packaging.

Mutual benefits gained using the FLEXCEL NX System

Gerardo Ganbardella, owner of Bioplast, explains the mutually beneficial co-operation between Bioplast and Mavigrafica: “We were already working with Mavigrafica when the company adopted the KODAK Technology, and since then our relationship has strengthened.”

Mavigrafica installed the integrated FLEXCEL NX System, which includes KODAK TRENDSETTER NX Narrow or Mid Imager with the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Laminator, at the start of 2009.

Maurizio Vitale, owner of Mavigrafica, is an enthusiastic supporter of the system: “In terms of quality, the potential of the KODAK system is enormous. We can offer flexo printers quality that we believe to be equal to – if not better than - rotogravure. And, crucially, this quality is consistent.”

Mavigrafica soon had the chance to put the quality of the KODAK System to the test when Bioplast staged a competition, and invited leading local plate suppliers to demonstrate their production techniques. Mavigrafica submitted plates produced by the FLEXCEL NX System, which had been installed just a few weeks earlier. Despite the lack of experience with the new system, the printing results from the plates were remarkable.

Greater prepress repeatability and better colour output

The FLEXCEL NX System delivers high resolution and great consistency, allowing packaging converters and printers to improve the repeatability of plate production and printing.

Vitale emphasizes the importance of preparing the plate using lamination: “There are no problems with oxygen inhibition because the KODAK Thermal Imaging Layer is laminated directly on the plate. Consequently, the image structure on the plate is stable, clearly defined and has a flat printing area. This process also enables the plates to avoid being saturated with ink – which is what quickly happens with other photopolymers – improving the printer’s ability to continue printing without interruptions.”

The result is a stable, flat-topped dot, which appears much clearer and cleaner on the plate and enables longer print runs with a wider color gamut.

This characteristic is particularly appreciated by Gambardella: “The FLEXCEL NX System is crucial to the way we operate. It enables us to print with a wider colour range but with fewer plates. So not only can we can meet the quality expectations of an increasingly demanding market, we can also reduce our costs.

“The system has also reduced our environmental impact, which makes us much more attractive to certified companies such as Bioplast.”

Consistent results, no surprises

The FLEXCEL NX System offers rotogravure quality to packaging printers that produce labels, folding cartons and flexible packaging, with highlight dots and gradations that are reproduced uniformly in each application.

FLEXCEL NX Plates make it possible to overcome the problems that usually occur with traditional digital flexo plates, where prepress variables can cause changes to the final plates and the variability in production causes inefficiencies and increased waste on press. In addition, if the structure of the dot is sensitive to changes in the production of the plate and print conditions, more time will be needed to prepare the file.

“With extreme variability, it’s difficult to guarantee an exact match between the colours of the approved graphic design and those of the final printed packaging,” adds Vitale. “The plates produced using the FLEXCEL NX System don’t hit you with any unpleasant print surprises.”

The FLEXCEL NX System creates plates with 1:1 reproduction from the digital file to the plate to the substrate, and flat printing dots with good relief and support. This means they are more than capable of sustaining the mechanical stress in printing, and ultimately means fewer plates are needed.

“The KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic Plate has a minimum printable dot size of 10 microns and screen reproducibility of 0.4% to 99.6%. This allows rulings of up to 300 lpi to be printed without using a bump curve to calibrate the plate. It is also certified for use with KODAK STACCATO Screening Technology,” says Vitale.

Fresh boost to business

The implementation of the system has been extremely smooth at both Bioplast and Mavigrafica, thanks to their collective experience in the sector and the support from Kodak throughout – from calibrating the system to benchmarking and ensuring optimal print conditions.

In addition to the benefits gained on the shop floor, Bioplast is also receiving many new orders because of the outstanding quality the company can now deliver, and the range of media on which Bioplast can print has been expanded. The company can now also use varnished plastic material for barrier, nylon, paper and cardboard effects with excellent results.

Mavigrafica is equally positive about the impact of the FLEXCEL NX System: “A year after the installation, we have no doubt that we made the right decision to invest in the KODAK Technology,” says Vitale. “Its great quality means we can offer more than traditional digital flexo printing, which has enabled us to attract new business.”

For Gambardella, Bioplast’s investment in Kodak innovation has helped the company weather the challenging economic climate: “Like most printers, we felt the effects of the downturn. But rather than sitting back and waiting for it to end, we implemented new technology that enabled us to offer more to our customers and increase revenue.”

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