It all began over a quarter of a century ago, when Danish label printer Henning Kongstad got frustrated with the time and effort required to clean and maintain his printing press. The major problem was that of dirty parts and the knock-on effect they were having on print quality. In addition, the manual process of cleaning took significant production time, so Kongstad decided to come up with a remedy – and the rest is Flexo Wash history!
The machine Kongstad was unsophisticated and a little more than a modified domestic dishwasher, but the die was cast. Through various ingenious modifications, he developed what became the first Flexo Wash Parts Washer, and in doing so, he changed the course of history for thousands of printing companies.
The benefits of the new mechanical washer were immediately obvious, as Kongstad explains, “Suddenly, we found changeover times were shorter and we had fewer press stops – more uptime means more print, and more print means more profit. It was a simple fix that had a profound effect on productivity – and we have never looked back!”
Always keen to ensure that his product fitted the ‘lean, clean, and mean’ maxim, Kongstad claims that the company’s ethos and dedication to quality and sustainability has reaped rewards the world over. Beginning by supplying the narrow web sector in native Denmark and neighboring Germany, the reach of Flexo Wash products now extends to all sectors of the printing industry with installations around the world. There is barely a sector of flexo and gravure that does not use Flexo Wash technology, with industry sectors as diverse as corrugated, offset and coating included. Today, the Flexo Wash portfolio includes specialist anilox cleaning and plate washing technology, as well as the original parts washing machines.
Flexibility has always been an essential element of the company’s success as well as its ability to predict what its customers will need next. By keeping close contact with the market, Flexo Wash has used this feedback to develop and refine its products, while all the time retaining the highest level of after-sales service and support. Aware that his customers are a major asset, Kongstad believes that the key to his success has been the level of trust and loyalty that Flexo Wash has managed to build over the years. He says, “Most of our customers make repeat purchases, which speaks volumes for the reliability of the equipment and the dedication of our service team.”
Twenty-five years on, Flexo Wash has more than 4000 machines in everyday commercial use worldwide. The thrust is still ‘productivity’ and no one has a more diverse yet specialized product portfolio that has been developed from first-hand experience to provide reliable performance under the toughest working conditions. “We supply machines to major global groups and small family businesses in remote locations – both need technology and service they can depend on, and that’s been the key to our first 25 years of success,” he concludes.
India, of late, has been a very important and growing market for the company, which has sold over 60 machines to reputed companies like Mehta Flex, Huhtamaki, Uflex, Amcor, Tetra Pak, Dynaflex, Parakh Agro, Vijay Neha Shrinath Rotopack, IDMCL, etc. The company believes that their focus and service commitment has established them as a leader in this field.
To see and experience the prowess of the Flexo Wash’s innovations, the company will be present at the Plastindia event at their Stand 11A40 in Hall 11.
“Suddenly, we found changeover times were shorter and we had
fewer press stops – more uptime means more print, and more
print means more profit. It was a simple fix that had a profound
effect on productivity – and we have never looked back!”
