Catena+ Wins New Innovation Award

The CI Flexo Tech Technology Innovation Award was established in 2019. It’s the first such award to encompass the entire flexo industry in China. The aim is “to discover, promote, encourage and commend innovative technologies in the fl exo printing industry”.

On 6th November a committee comprised of 46 flexo experts from leading printers, brand-owners, universities, trade magazines and technology suppliers judged the fi nalists in the 2020 CI Flexo Tech Technology Innovation Award. At a well-attended event (more than 300 attendees), Flint Group’s Jacky Chen gave a presentation on the ThermoFlexX Catena+ Inline Plate Making System before gaining the award.

Catena is a modular concept of individual units that can build up to a fully in-line solvent-chemistry flexo plate making system. A ThermoFlexX imager, Catena-E (LED exposure) and Catena-WDLS (washer, dryer and light-finisher) join together with robotic transport units forming Catena+ for full automation. With Catena+ an operator need only place the plate on the imager loading tray and remove the cover-sheet. The full plate making process thereafter is completed without further human intervention. Productivity and consistency are naturally increased whilst the risk of damage through operator handling is eliminated. Up to 10 flexo plates initiated during a working shift can be fully finished without supervision, for example, after a shift is finished and the factory is closed.

At time-of-writing, Catena units take up to 50 x 80” (1270 x 2032mm) plates and links with ThermoFlexX 80 or 60 imagers.