Prepress service provider, U. Günther GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, has always been quick to adopt innovative technologies for flexo printing while also advancing the printing process through its own technical developments and process optimizations. “Our goal is to effectively benefit all parties involved in the packaging value chain – brand owners, printers and prepress service providers. Key to achieving this is to increase efficiency, especially when processing larger SKU series,” says Peter Tarnowski, responsible for market development and special projects at U. Günther.
FLEXCEL NX Technology: “long established and indispensable”
In line with this strategy, U. Günther has been relying on its ongoing partnership with Miraclon and FLEXCEL NX Technology for over a decade. “FLEXCEL NX Technology is extremely well established in our company and ensures predictable, reliable results – both in our platemaking process and on press at packaging printers,” says Peter Tarnowski. The prepress service provider now operates two FLEXCEL NX Wide 5080 Systems in its 4,000+ m2 flexo plate production facility in Greven, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
For Peter Tarnowski, the investment in Miraclon’s technology has meant that the company has achieved important milestones since the introduction of these solutions. He credits the FLEXCEL NX 5080 System, the continuous development of the multi-form surface patterning they implement today, and the introduction of the larger format FLEXCEL NX Ultra 42 Solution with its solvent- and VOC-free water-based plate processing, which expands the plate format that can be used with FLEXCEL NX Ultra Processor. In 2023, U. Günther installed a FLEXCEL NX Ultra Processing System that allows them to make FLEXCEL NX Ultra Plates up to 1,067 x 1,524 mm in size. “Thanks to the larger format, we can now fulfill an entire series of plate orders,” explains Peter Tarnowski. He adds that the square meter consumption of all FLEXCEL NX Plates at U. Günther has been close to or in the five-digit range for several years and that NX Ultra Plates account for around 30% of this volume.
Beneficial technology synergy
For U. Günther, FLEXCEL NX Technology is a key component in enabling brand owners and flexo printers to achieve modern flexo practices, including greater efficiency and improved productivity, along with the sustainability benefits it enables, as well as reduced costs and higher packaging print quality. Another component is the Impulse Screen screening technology developed by U. Günther and its sister company, Flexo-Service Cl. Jaehde, both of which are part of Grotenkamp Holding GmbH. Impulse Screen technology enables moiré-free multicolor printing without the typical flexo rosette and the printing of very fine patterns using existing or relatively coarse anilox rollers. This allows printers to achieve much finer levels of screening, as well as excellent detail without visible halftone dots, without having to invest in anilox rollers with a higher screen ruling or modify their presses in any other way.
Impulse Screen paired with FLEXCEL NX Plates is a winning combination for Peter Tarnowski: “We predominantly use FLEXCEL NX Plates for our Impulse Screen processes because, in our experience, it produces the best results. Accurate, detailed, high-resolution reproduction of the finest elements of a motif in the highlight area is the most obvious proof. The plate properties are also extremely important when you need to print large areas with even color tones made up of two or three colors. That works very well.”
With its combination of FLEXCEL NX Plates and Impulse Screen, U. Günther won Gold in the 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards, hosted by Miraclon, for its commitment to sustainable print, supporting conversion from other print processes, and improving the print production workflow. And in 2022, the company won a DFTA Award in the German Flexographic Technical Association’s Innovation category for flexible packaging produced using the same combination of plate and screening technology. This work highlighted another advantage offered by combining these technologies: being able to reduce the number of colors from eight to four CMYK process colors.
Higher efficiency and productivity for printers
“With Impulse Screen and the stability of FLEXCEL NX Plates, we can significantly reduce the consumption of inks and printing plates, as well as make-ready times in printing. Printers can also increase print speed without compromising on quality,” explains Tarnowski. “Faster job changes, shorter make-ready times and higher print speeds are factors that increase productivity, enable sustainability benefits, and can reduce costs. This results in a scale effect that gives packaging printers who systematically exploit these advantages a huge efficiency and competitive advantage.”
With these possibilities, U. Günther is increasingly relying on extended color gamut (ECG) printing with Impulse Screen and FLEXCEL NX Plates for customer orders. “We offer ECG with up to seven colors. However, we usually manage with five or six colors, and the printers achieve excellent results,” says Peter Tarnowski. According to Mr. Tarnowski, brand owners are increasingly open to the ECG process, including the added sustainability benefits and cost savings that come along with it – proven by the over 2,000 SKUs per year for customers in the flexible packaging sector – and the trend is rising.
“When great results are achieved, they should be presented clearly” was U. Günther’s motto during its participation in the demanding DFTA Award this year. Several flexible packaging products were submitted, all of which were produced from recycling-friendly mono-materials and mostly printed with FLEXCEL NX Plates. The work in the pet food, pet supplies and food sectors were produced in four colors or the ECG process, and the U. Günther team was once again rewarded with an award by the independent jury.
“We value the close relationship and longstanding partnership with U. Gunther”, concludes Roland Hamacher, Miraclon Sales Manager for Europe, Africa and Middle East Region. “The company is a proven market leader in enabling printers and brands to adopt and benefit from modern flexo practices, which is underscored by their continued growth and various accolades from industry associations. They set a great example of what can achieved with the right combination of technologies.”
