This is the company's first investment for its packaging expansion. For the last 20 years, Digiflex has been providing pre-press services to the commercial offset industry.

According to Muralidhar Nalli of Digiflex, the commercial offset market has reached a saturation point, whereas the future is in packaging. This is the reason which inspired Nalli to fold-up his previous business to concentrate on providing pre-press services for the packaging industry. “Growing market demand and the need for new technology were the key reasons for the Flexcel installation," he said.

The new Flexcel NX platesetter will enable the company cater the pre-press and production of digital flexo plates, thermal offset plates, and DITR films for analogue flexo plates.

Vidhu Gautham, regional business manager, packaging segment, Kodak, Flexcel NX digital flexographic system uses the thermal imaging layer in conjunction with flexo plates. “This layer is exposed on a Trendsetter NX imager with Kodak Squarespot imaging technology. After imaging, it is laminated to a Kodak Flexcel NX digital flexographic plate using the Kodak Flexcel NX laminator. The quick and simple lamination process removes all oxygen between the layer and the plate, and results in the creation of high-quality, full amplitude, flat-top dots,” he said.

Digiflex’s next plans will be to opt for digital proofing solutions and a flexo line.