Asahi Kasei, and its subsidiary, Asahi Photoproducts, pioneers in flexographic photopolymer plate development, announced they will be attending three important events in Shanghai during the month of November 2023. These include:
- The 9th edition of All in Print China, scheduled for 1-4 November 2023 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. In Booth W2A110, Asahi will feature its Solvent zero campaign with sustainable solutions available today using Asahi AFPTM, AFP-RTM and AWPTM flexographic plates and a roadmap to a more sustainable solvent zero future.
- The CI Flexo annual meeting, scheduled for 3 November. It will include a presentation by Yuji Suzuki delineating the company’s solvent zero roadmap and previewing the AFP-RTM flexo plate, which achieves a reduction in the usage of solvent and electricity, even before the system is fully converted to non-solvent.
- The 6th Annual China International Import Expo scheduled for 5-10 November at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Located in Hall 4.1, in the Green Society area, Asahi Photoproducts China will feature themes of healthy, green society, digital development and future. The company will make available print samples created using its AWPTM CleanPrint certified carbon neutral water-washable flexo plates and other sustainable platemaking solutions during the show.
A Leader in Flexographic Platemaking Solutions
“The majority of platemakers today still use solvent wash platemaking technologies, which often can generate unwanted odor in the ambient working environment,” said Yuji Suzuki, technical support professional at Asahi Kasei. “In this day and age, many people believe that the manufacturer should be environmentally sustainable and create balanced solutions for a better working environment. That’s been the goal at Asahi Kasei for more than 50 years, and we have continued to deliver new and more sustainable solutions on a regular basis over those years. Visitors to these events will be able to experience first-hand the latest generation of sustainable flexographic platemaking solutions, have all their questions answered by our experts, and take with them samples that reflect the high-quality flexographic print enabled by the use of our sustainable AWPTM water-washable plates, which are certified carbon neutral in cooperation with The Carbon Trust. Our goal is to tell our solvent zero story and educate visitors about a clear roadmap to reaching a solvent zero future.”
Wastewater recycling drives even more sustainability
At these events, Asahi Kasei will also be highlighting its updated AWP-LOOPTM wastewater recycling unit for use with AWPTM plate processing systems, increasing sustainability of its platemaking solutions even more. The unit features proprietary filtering technology under the brand Microza, Asahi Kasei’s hollow fiber membrane separation technology that delivers cutting-edge water treatment capability, as well as a wide range of uses in other industrial processes. LOOP currently recycles 70% of the wastewater. With the new washout system, it will recycle up to 85% of wastewater using dishwasher detergent instead of traditional industrial detergents using upgraded brushes. In a standard 10-hour-per-day plate processing operation, the system can process plates up to 40 sqm (430 sqft). In 2025, AWP-LOOPTM will be available for use with tap water, eliminating altogether the need for detergents.
The road to solvent zero
For companies that are not yet ready to abandon solvent usage, Asahi will be outlining a roadmap to solvent zero that they can take advantage of as they work towards decreasing their carbon footprint, a goal important to their employees, their customers, and their competitive position in the marketplace. This includes:
- Switching from solvent washout plates such as Asahi AFPTM, which delivers excellent printing quality with CleanPrint technology, to Asahi AFPTM-R plates. These solvent wash plates deliver an approximate 25% reduction in solvent usage and more than 50% faster plate drying time without the need to change plate processors. This enables flexo houses to improve their carbon footprint today without additional investments.
- Over time, eliminate solvent wash platemaking entirely by switching to Asahi AWPTM CleanPrint water-wash plates. Adding the AWP-LOOPTM water recycling unit further improves the sustainability of the platemaking process. These plates feature less swelling and excellent printing quality.
“We will also be discussing our fully automated platemaking system, CrystalCleanConnect, developed in collaboration with ESKO and Kongsberg,” Suzuki added. “A few of these systems are already installed in China and are delivering above expectations in terms of quality and productivity. CrystalCleanConnect reduces the platemaking process from 12 steps to one; and because of the high level of automation, it reduces both operator engagement time and the possibility of error in the platemaking process, resulting in much more efficient and accurate platemaking. CrystalCleanConnect begins with insertion of raw plate material and ends with a fully finished press-ready plate.”
