Fujifilm is showcasing a range of new products designed to help label converters optimize their existing flexo presses, under the slogan ‘Protect the planet and your profits’ at its Stand 9A34 at Labelexpo Brussels. The company is highlighting an efficient and eco-friendly way to produce quality labels through the enhancements of its water-washable flexo plate and processing systems, together with new LED UV curing and imprinting solutions.
Flenex FW-FP, Fujifilm’s new water-washable plate for flexible packaging, joined by the upgraded SB-938 FLW water-washable plate processor and the new Aquarius Water Treatment System, is on display at the show for the first time. New Sericol JJ LED UV flexo ink and JF indirect food packaging compliant UV cured inks are also being displayed alongside Fujifilm’s Illumina cold cure LED UV system and additional new Activ LED UV system, while a new industrial imprinting system is also on display at the exhibition.
Nills Gottfried, segment product marketing manager at Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe said, “This year’s Labelexpo is an exciting one for Fujifilm. We’re delighted to be presenting a range of new products for the labeling market, alongside established products many visitors may still wish to learn more about. All are designed to ensure the highest quality label production achieved in the most efficient, profitable and eco-friendly way possible.”
Fujifilm’s new Flenex FW-FP plate, water-wash plate, and plate processing equipment features the benefits of the established FW-L2 plate as well as added solvent resistance, reduced curling effect and a thicker polyester base of 188µm.
SB-938 FLW is Fujifilm’s easy access, all-in-one, semi-automatic water-washable plate processor designed to provide efficient plate handling. In combination with Fujifilm’s Flenex FW plates, the SB-938 FLW processor offers the fastest plate making times in the industry ‒ under 40 minutes. This is faster than leading solvent systems and current thermal and water technologies.
Gottfried added, “Our upgraded SB-938, with its best-in-class wastewater capabilities, is a prime example of Fujifilm’s desire to manufacture products that support the ever-evolving environmental requirements demanded by the industry. It has an array of new features, including a washing section which minimizes water use during rinsing, a liftable brush frame providing easier access for cleaning and a unique remote diagnostics service, to name a few.”
Rounding off Fujifilm’s new flexographic equipment is the new Aquarius Water Treatment System. Used in combination with either the C-Touch or SB-938 water-wash flexo plate processors, Aquarius reduces water usage, prolongs the bath life and reduces wastewater and processor cleaning times.
In combination, Fujifilm’s newest Flenex plate, processor and water treatment system can help label converters reduce water use while also ensuring that their equipment functions effectively for as long as possible.
LED UV systems and inks
Fujifilm has also launched a new LED UV retrofit curing system called Activ, which allows any traditional UV flexo press to be converted to LED UV curing, bringing major improvements to label production.
“Activ takes advantage of the latest LED UV curing technologies, along with Fujifilm’s ink expertise, to deliver an industrial, reliable curing system with none of the disadvantages of higher power and higher temperature conventional UV lamps,” Gottfried said. “Activ accelerates productivity, as well as offering quality improvements, greater application versatility, cost and material savings, and reduced environmental impact.”
This LED UV curing system is being demonstrated alongside the Illumina LED UV curing system, presented at Labelexpo in 2017. Launched in tandem with Activ is Fujifilm’s new high performance, Sericol JJ LED UV flexo ink and Sericol JF indirect food packaging compliant UV cured ink. Both are designed for use with the Illumina and Activ LED UV curing systems, as well as most other LED UV curing systems. The Sericol JF flexo UV ink is formulated to comply with Swiss Ordinance SR 817.023.21 and Nestle Guidance Note on Packaging Inks 02-2014 and EC Regulation on GMP 2003/2006, making it suitable for indirect food packaging, as per EuPIA guidelines.
Finally, as a technical preview, Fujifilm’s new Industrial Imprinting System offers variable data printing at industrial production speeds. In an era of mass customization, imprinting provides a great opportunity to add value and help to increase the range of solutions companies can offer. Fujifilm’s new imprinting solution is more productive and can be integrated into existing packing or filling line equipment. Using Fujifilm’s inkjet technology, the imprinting system can print images or information as text, logos, QR or barcodes, or any other customized data.
Gottfried concluded, “If label converters want to find out more about how they can optimize their existing flexo presses with the latest innovative solutions, we recommend they visit the Fujifilm stand at Labelexpo. With new products across the stand, Fujifilm is demonstrating how label production can be made more flexible, efficient, profitable and ultimately more eco-friendly.”
