E-magen, a prepress company dedicated to providing high quality flexographic plates for producing on various packaging types, has spent the past 20 years positioning itself as one of Argentina’s prominent trade shops. Since switching from analogue to digital platemaking and installing its first FLEXCEL NX System in 2010, “it has enabled rapid and constant growth for the company,” according to Damián Petrola, Vice President of E-magen. So much so, that they have now replaced their mid-size system with a FLEXCEL NX Wide System at their new 1000m2 headquarters “to improve productivity, reduce waste, save time, and enable us to provide bigger FLEXCEL NX Plates for our growing amount of pet food and diaper packaging producers.”

Petrola says satisfying the needs of their customers is top priority: “At a time where there are supply and economic pressures around the globe, we are showing our customers how FLEXCEL NX Plates can enable them to reduce waste and downtime, increase press speed and enjoy ink savings, maximizing their productivity and saving them money too. And with more and more of our customer base producing bigger packaging, the larger plates of the FLEXCEL NX Wide System reduce mounting and ensures consistency.”

He adds that the recent investment went hand in hand with the company’s relocation to bigger premises, which was built with the FLEXCEL NX Wide System in mind. “The new facilities were designed from the outset to maximize functionality and convenience for different areas of work. We have five floors that house our 40 team members, carefully laid out to provide an optimum working environment which in turns helps us reach our commercial objectives. Our new location also enables a very quick response time for deliveries to all zones in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan (AMBA), as well as fast dispatches across the rest of the country.”

Partnership with Miraclon “a strategic vision”
Petrola explains that choosing the FLEXCEL NX System in 2010 was part of the company’s strategic vision for a technology partner that could help them grow and stay at the forefront of innovation. “We knew that in order to give customers the best plate that will deliver the most consistently high results while bringing a wealth of productivity benefits to the press room, FLEXCEL NX Technology was the only system that could meet the high standards we set. We take this ‘only-the-best’ approach in everything we do – from technical advice, on press support, retouching and adaptation for prepress files, to high-quality plate production and even deliveries.

“The constant innovation and development of technology that enables us to get even more out of our current system is also aligned with our economical, technological and sustainability values,” he adds.

Plate Production Productivity
In addition to the productivity benefits its customers enjoy with FLEXCEL NX Plates, E-magen is also enjoying its own range of productivity benefits during plate production: “It’s become essential to reduce prepress and plate production times as much as possible without affecting the quality of the work, as the market is becoming more competitive every day,” says Petrola. “The FLEXCEL NX System is a reliable work horse that produces consistent results; allowing us to minimize waste and ensure fast turnaround.”

With the new system, E-magen can process plates up to 42″ × 60″ (1067 × 1524 mm). The company currently runs two production shifts where staff can process the maximum amount square meters of plates during this time. They also have the option of adding an extra shift to increase production capacity if necessary to meet production needs.

A growing flexo market
For the Vice President of E-magen, “the flexo market has vast potential for growth and we’re seeing an increasing number of jobs previously produced in gravure being switched to flexo. Thanks to FLEXCEL NX Technology, we can keep up with this trend through the service and plates we provide.”

International standards
E-magen has most recently also successfully completed the Miraclon Certification Program for KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates. The program verifies and confirms the ability of FLEXCEL NX System users to meet international flexographic platemaking standards. It represents a feature set that drives industry-leading efficiency, repeatability, and consistent quality in flexo plate production. Comprehensive data measurements and analyses are also carried out as part of the certification process.