Italian packaging producer, Netpack, has expanded its relationship with flexo technology manufacturer Miraclon, with investment in a Shine LED Lamp Kit for flexo plate exposure.
Netpack said the lamp kit has solved increasing problems it has experienced with fluorescent exposure, which have included issues such as limited tube life; variable power output, tube to tube, and within the same tube; longer exposure times; and high energy consumption.
“To manage these issues, we needed strict controls and continuous adjustments in exposure times and other parameters,” said Gian Luca Zangheri, graphics manager of Netpack. “If we replaced a tube, it often took us half a day to position the lamps in order to achieve the best possible uniformity – which still wasn’t optimal, as less light would reach the edges. This resulted in variations in the polymer floor thickness and inconsistencies in halftone density.”

Gian Luca Zangheri, graphics manager of Netpack
Netpack turned to Miraclon’s Shine LED Lamp Kit Mr Zangheri said the Miraclon Shine kit solved all the issues the company had with fluorescent. He added: “Now we have perfect exposure uniformity, lower energy consumption, extremely long lamp lifespans, shorter exposure times due to the instant warm-up, and constant power output over time. Plates are consistent in floor thickness and exposure – which wasn’t the case before – and we’re 100% confident in the linearisation of the plate production process.”
Mr Zangheri continued that the prepress team has become more productive as quality controls have become simpler, faster and less frequent. This, he concluded, has allowed Netpack’s operators to focus on more important tasks, enabling the business to continue moving forward.
Netpack’s relationship with Miraclon dates back to 2016 when the company first invested in a Flexcel NX System. Since then, the company claims to have produced over 26,000sq/m of plates and moved every job to Flexcel NX Technology. The company handles the entire packaging production cycle inhouse, from graphic design to finished products, at its 15,000sq/m production plant in Cesena, Italy.