Energy Elite Eco offset printing plates and the Arkana smart processor are part of Agfa’s ECO³ approach, which stands for ECOnomy, ECOlogy and Extra COnvience. Since Interpack invested in the powerful combination of Agfa’s Energy Elite Eco offset printing plates and Arkana smart processor, it has seen its prepress productivity increase, and chemistry and water consumption lower.
Interpack S.A. is the largest manufacturer of folding cartons in Argentina, operating two sites in Buenos Aires. ‘We have an 8-up and a 16-up printing press which use conventional, UV and hybrid inks. Print jobs have run lengths between 2000 and 200,000 sheets’, said Juan Kozelnik, who is in charge of the prepress department. ‘We started evaluating Agfa’s Energy Elite Eco plates in 2018, looking for an increase in productivity, a reduction in energy consumption (since they do not require baking), lower chemistry consumption, as well as waste and water reduction.’
‘In a first step, we tested the Energy Elite Eco plates’ performance for three months with an existing Glunz & Jensen processor. We shut down the baking oven, resulting in a reduction of energy consumption by nearly 99%, and important savings in chemicals and waste. However, with that conventional processor we still used water for rinsing, and maintenance was frequent, albeit somewhat simpler.’
‘Printing results were good, yet there was still room for improvement in terms of rinse water consumption, cleaning and maintenance routines. That is why we took the next step and installed an Arkana 125 processor from Agfa. Waste was reduced by 51% and chemistry consumption went down by 84%. In addition, we no longer needed to use water for rinsing, since the system does not require it.’
Diego Goitisolo, in charge of the printing operations added, ‘With the adoption of Agfa’s Antura AFS1 Fountain Solution, we also reduced consumption of IPA. The press operators were pleased with the improved water-ink balance and the quicker start-ups after a stop.’
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