The Optics 100 V2 is Esko’s latest optical development in its imaging technology, which Esko claimed combines best-in-class imaging quality with optimal productivity.

Rutul Zaveri, a partner in the platemaking business, said having enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Esko which spans over sixteen years, the decision to continue its digital transformation journey with the new Crystal platemaking technology had been a simple one.“We always aim to supply excellent quality processed digital flexo plates to our customers, which helps them to achieve superior flexo print results,” said Zaveri. “When we were looking to replace our existing lamps plate imager, we knew we wanted to invest in the most innovative and reliable solution. The Esko CDI Crystal 5080 XPS met all our requirements and expectations.”

Established early this year, Pinpoint Block has gained in reputation as a flexo pre-press unit, which maximises the visual appeal of its flexo-printed artwork on any given press. Zaveri said, “We are always keen to implement new technologies and were the first to invest in an automatic flexo platemaking module within Esko Automation Engine, which integrates our imager and Kongsberg cutting table to ensure quality and accuracy at a significantly faster pace than the manual way of cutting flexo plates.

Zaveri added, “This newest addition perfectly complements our Esko prepress software, which not only includes the latest generation automation engine but also ArtPro+ and imaging engine. Indeed, the imaging engine is also unique in that it has two processing channels, which enables us to RIP two jobs at the same time; improving our throughput and helping to ensure all deliveries are on-time.”

Murad Kalal, Esko Regional sales manager, said that this latest investment again demonstrated how Pinpoint always works to stay ahead of the curve and surpass customer needs.“With the Crystal technology from Esko, the platemaking process - in terms of imaging and exposure - is now much less complex and has significantly fewer steps. The integration of our Print Control Wizard software and hardware technology means that the Pinpoint team are now completely in control of the quality and performance of their plates and subsequent print consistency.”

The CDI Crystal XPS can be operated with single-touch operation using an intuitive screen interface and allows for unattended operation. . The combination of the CDI Crystal flexo imager with the XPS Crystal exposing unit offers a perfect, consolidated flexo plate making workflow for Pinpoint Block. “The integration and automation of the digital imaging and LED UV exposure processes improve consistency and overall ease of use for the prepress operators,” said Murad. “The CDI Crystal XPS not only frees up valuable time but also reduces maintenance of the flexo equipment.”