Asahi Photoproducts Signs Distribution Agreement with Spanish Firm INNOVA

Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, today announced it has added Spanish firm INNOVA to its global family of distributors, with direct sales to flexographic printing houses in Spain. INNOVA’s goal is to help printing companies improve performance in the printing and converting process by developing solutions in collaboration with partners like Asahi Photoproducts. INNOVA will be offering a turnkey package for flexographic printers interested in streamlining prepress and plate making, to include an Esko plate making system and Asahi’s AWP™ water washable flexographic plates with Clean Transfer Technology.

“We began working with Asahi Photoproducts and Esko in mid-2018 to develop a solution that addresses the challenges facing the flexographic printing industry,” says Oriol Rosés, Managing Director at INNOVA. “Working with industry-leading suppliers like Asahi is a key element of our strategy and strengthens our leadership position as a technical solutions provider for the Spanish flexo market. We were attracted to Asahi as a top-quality trusted supplier that is as committed to innovation as we are. Together, we developed a plug-and-play solution that avoids complexity and ensures a meaningful investment with a good ROI for our flexo printing and converting customers.”

Clean Transfer Technology plates from Asahi Photoproducts have been specifically engineered to transfer all remaining ink to the printed substrate. This is due to the plate’s lower surface energy. Clean Transfer Technology plates do not need to be cleaned as often as conventional digital solvent plates. Reduction of plate cleaning stops creates a significant productivity improvement. In addition, flexo press operators are able to bring their presses up to color much more quickly, reducing both make-ready time and waste while providing additional productivity and cost-savings benefits.

In addition to prepress and plate making solutions, INNOVA also offers anilox, doctor blade chambers, and more for a full end-to-end and highly productive flexo printing experience. “We also offer our own products, such as In-Mount double-sided adhesive tapes, Innovabak compressible backing material for corrugated post-print, and maintenance solutions that include anilox cleaning, audits and consultancy,” Mr. Rosés adds. “Everything we do is focused on the flexo industry and helping our customers be more productive and profitable.”

Asahi Photoproducts offerings to repro houses in Spain are available from BECA GRAFIC S.A. in the north of Spain, while INNOVA is focused on serving flexo printing and converting operations directly.