Consumables-General - Plates

The newest member of the Agfa Graphics GreenWorks program, Commerce Printing Services uses Azura TS plates.

Brady Corp, a Milwaukee-based identification solutions manufacturer, transitioned to Clarity Water Washable Plates in 2013 after running extensive plate trials. Clarity, which is compatible with Brady’s current CTP imaging equipment, reduces the company's platemaking processing time to less than 40 minutes, is 300 percent faster than leading solvent systems and is 1.5 times faster than current thermal and water technologies.

Reynolds and Reynolds of Kettering, OH, is the 1,000th customer to adopt Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates that remove the plate processing step completely without sacrificing the quality or productivity of traditional mainstream processed plates.

#1 Network, one of the largest distribution channels in the graphics industry, is now a Silver Reseller of Kodak Solutions in the United States and Canada, and is offering Kodak’s leading portfolio of digital plates, including Kodak Sonora XP Process Free Plates, Kodak Sonora News Process Free Plates, and Kodak Sword Excel Thermal Plates.

Driven by a rapidly-growing customer demand for Sonora Plates, Kodak will be adding a new plate manufacturing line at its Columbus, GA, facility dedicated to producing Kodak Sonora Process Free Plates. This expansion aligns with Kodak’s plans to drive local sourcing while continuously improving manufacturing quality, production efficiencies and customer service across its entire digital plate portfolio.

Eastman Kodak said it is ending production of Sonora printing plates at its Leeds, U.K., plant by next year and will look for a new site to meet demand in the Americas. Meanwhile, Kodak has invested in upgrading its high-speed Sonora plate manufacturing in its Osterode, Germany, plant.

Users can now benefit from Heidelberg's Saphira Blanket Pro 200, an eco-friendly blanket that has sharp all-round properties and is particularly suitable for commercial printers looking to make their production operations even more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Heidelberg has received very positive feedback from its customers who use Heidelberg Saphira consumable products. In order to deliver best in class support to its growing consumables customer base, the company has strengthened its local consumables organization through product and application training, improved logistical solutions, as well as training and support of print instructors and product specialists.

Agfa Graphics has informed employees at its printing plate factory in Manerbio, Italy, as well as the trade unions, that it intends to close down the factory impacting 123 employee positions. A redundancy plan will be developed for the employees that currently work in Manerbio.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is expanding the range of printing plates, inks, coatings and print additives it offers customers in Germany by acquiring the ink specialist Ulrich Schweizer GmbH/IPS GmbH (Schweizer), based in Waiblingen. Schweizer has been supplying the industry with sheetfed offset consumables for over 35 years and is one of Germany’s biggest service providers for Pantone and spot colors. The company boasts a state-of-the-art ink-mixing plant and also offers a 24-hour delivery service.