Everything started in 1950 when Louis Plambeck of DuPont patented the photo-polymerization process for imaging applications. Nowadays a multitude of patents cover imaging applications in a wide variety of industries ranging from electronics to printing.
The Advancement of Flexo
Flexo printing as we now know it today started in the 1920's in the USA and it was initially performed with rubber plate. It is a relatively new and rapidly changing printing method, ideal for packaging graphics and printing/converting.
In 1974 DuPont introduced Cyrel® the first commercial system to produce photopolymer printing plates. In a few years, what started out as a vision profoundly transformed flexographic printing. With the introduction of Cyrel® Flexo printing developed rapidly - from a low quality process to the high-end graphics intensive process we know today.
Since then and basically only in three decades flexo quality has increased dramatically, thanks mainly to pioneering work by DuPont on flexo imaging workflows.
In 1995 DuPont presented Cyrel® Digital Imager (CDI) and Cyrel® digital plates, an industrial solution to produce fully digital photopolymer printing plates. The new digital technology provided a major breakthrough in enhanced output quality and consistency, with reduced overall process cost due to the elimination of the film stage used in analogue conventional flexo platemaking. Initially, introduced for the flexible packaging and folding carton segments, it then expanded, to cover the full range of flexo applications, including the cost-effective production of plates for corrugated pre-print and post-print.
Continuing concern for the environment and other safety related aspects left dissatisfaction until 2000 when DuPont introduced the first solvent-free flexo plate making process: the new thermal dry technology, called Cyrel® FAST. Flexographers have witnessed the introduction of the new DuPont™ Cyrel® FAST thermal processing system, which complements solvent and aqueous processes, and presents many significant benefits in the plate room and the press room. The newly developed Cyrel® FAST system reduces plate preparation time to a remarkable one-quarter of that required by conventional solvent-based and aqueous-based systems and brings photopolymer plate production to a totally new level. The great time savings comes from skipping the washout step and the subsequently required drying.
In 2002 DuPont eliminated the final hurdle in flexo's relentless drive to become the number one printing process for packaging printing with the full commercialization of Cyrel® round, the latest digital technology for continuous flexographic printing forms production. Cyrel® round is a complete digital sleeve production solution, consisting of a family of "ready-to-image" Cyrel® printing forms (sleeves), supported by complementary equipment. Unlike sleeve engraving, the printing surface is imaged by the Cyrel® Digital Imager at very high resolution and at speeds of up to 4.0 m2 per hour. With no plate mounting process to introduce errors, and with precise on-press location, Cyrel® round sleeves deliver best-in-class registration improved print quality and reduced make-ready times. They also have several other advantages that give them unsurpassed performance for quality flexo applications and those requiring continuous design repeats or complex nested mounting. The Cyrel®round system is an important step forward for packaging printers and "plate" makers. It provides excellent quality and consistency as well as cost advantages. The commercialized product has also been perfected so that the Cyrel® round sleeves are light, durable, easy to handle and environmentally disposable.
New Standards, New Perspectives, New Potential!
Utilizing the latest technologies and resources, DuPont™ Cyrel® has been consistently leading the innovation of the Packaging Graphics Printing industry by setting New Standards. The DuPont solutions have been offering and opening New Perspectives to every Cyrel® customers who discovered and benefited from the New Potential offered by the new Cyrel® solutions.
Experiencing New Horizons!
Consumers worldwide are influenced more and more by packaging graphics and they increasingly use package shape, color and graphics to identify a brand. Often consumers formulate opinions on products based on their packaging. In response, consumer goods companies increasingly need to utilize more graphics, more color, and higher quality.
Cyrel® FAST and Cyrel® round move the DuPont’s developments one step closer to perfection, delivering improved quality and productivity - a match for gravure at lower cost and with faster response times and now, for more and more packaging applications, flexography offers the best balance of quality, flexibility, and cost - often much better than the offset or gravure printing processes.
The 7th Flexo-Print-Pack Congress & 2006 International Grand Prix Cyrel® awards
In March 2007, DuPont will again host its 7th International Flexo-Print-Pack Congress for the global packaging graphics industry. Run on a roughly four year cycle, the Congress in March will be the seventh since the event began back in 1982 and the biggest to date. This time it will take place in Valencia, Spain.
The theme, "New Horizons" will be woven throughout the entire event, including the 2006 International Grand Prix Cyrel® awards. The chosen theme reflects the ever improving flexo printing packaging technologies and techniques in addition to the expanded business opportunities they offer.
Innovative and highly motivated executives of the flexo world will take part in the 7th International Flexo-Print-Pack Congress. As opposed to previous occasions, invitations have been extended to actively promote the participation of decision makers at all levels of the entire printing packaging value chain.
The general sessions and breakout panels will focus on the current and future needs of the printing packaging industry as well as on the solutions that flexo can bring to the different stakeholders. Moreover, flexo printing professionals (flexographers and trade/repro shops) will enjoy a unique opportunity to interact with Consumer Package Goods Companies (CPGs) and retailers informing them on new flexo printing and business opportunities.
The 7th International Flexo-Print-Pack Congress will provide packaging industry professionals attending the conference with additional tools to support their success and that of their companies in a highly competitive marketplace.
The instructive program will feature conference and round table sessions on industry fundamentals, opportunities and trends. In addition, during a gala ceremony and dinner, DuPont will also announce the winners of the 2006 International Grand Prix Cyrel® awards, honoring excellence in design, reproduction, flexo printing, conversion offset and gravure to flexo as well as innovative ideas in packaging.
The formal presentation of awards to the winners of the 2006 International Grand Prix Cyrel® will complement the Congress. The competition showcases the finest work that flexographic printing can produce. Over the course of almost twenty years, the number of submitting companies in the printing contest itself has risen from around 400 in 1982 to over 1700 in 2006. The quality of the entries has also grown in that time until now flexography is no longer regarded as the ‘step-child’ of the printing industry and is now seen as an equal with offset and gravure printing.
For information about the 7th International Flexo-Print-Pack Congress and the 2006 Grand Prix Cyrel® awards, please visit http://www.packaging-graphics.dupont.com and/or http://www.ev-reg.com/gpcyrel .
September 2006
DuPont (http://www.dupont.com) is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.
DuPont Packaging Graphics is part of the DuPont Imaging Technologies strategic business unit. DuPont Packaging Graphics has R& D and manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Customer Technology Centers are located in Europe, Asia, North and South America to provide outstanding technical support to the Packaging Graphics industry with DuPont™ Cyrel® solutions.
For additional information on DuPont and DuPont Packaging Graphics products and services, please call +49 (0)6102 18 4400, email pier-luigi.sassanelli@dupont.com or visit the web sites at http://www.packaging-graphics.dupont.com
To download high resolution pictures go to http://www.ev-reg.com/newhorizons
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