PRESS RELEASE
Agfa Dotrix and Edale Ltd join forces to showcase single pass digital inkjet printing
New strategic alliance allows press manufacturer Edale Ltd, to offer the :Dotrix inkjet press to its traditional flexo customers
Mortsel, Belgium, April 6, 2009 –– Agfa Graphics announced today a partnership with Edale Ltd to distribute the :Dotrix single pass digital inkjet press. This enables both companies to focus on the specific needs of mutual customers for digital printing solutions in the flexographic market.
Agfa Graphics and Edale Ltd have been working together to build both the :Dotrix Modular and the :Dotrix Transcolor. Edale’s expertise in narrow web flexo presses brings the industrial base with proven media transport to the digital press. Agfa Dotrix have integrated the single-pass inkjet color engine (SPICE) into the Edale base unit. The SPICE contains the four inkjet head arrays to print CMYK in one pass with a maximum printing width of 63cm. Thus the :Dotrix suits both narrow and medium web printing applications.
“The Edale industrial base brings proven printing flexo press technology into the digital press room,” said Jan Soenen, Business Line Manager for the :Dotrix products at Agfa Graphics. “The reliable web transport in combination with the UV curable inkjet technology offer a unique press that prints on the widest range of substrates from heavy 450gsm paper to the ultra thin 25µ plastic material. Being digital, however, it is far more flexible and versatile than a traditional press.”
Edale and Agfa Graphics plan to share the show floor at LabelExpo later this year. Like any Edale press, the :Dotrix can be configured to also include inline coating flexo stations or post press finishing.
“The strategic decision to build digital technology on an industrial base is the best guarantee for a well balanced investment for our customers, “ said James Boughton, Managing Director of Edale Ltd. “Many of our customers are looking to add digital solutions to their traditional business. We are extremely happy we will now offer this solution to our own customer base.”
The Dotrix comes as a single side solution (:Dotrix Modular) or as a 2 sided solution (:Dotrix Transcolor ) and uses the Agfa Graphics UV curable inks.
About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa Healthcare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials).
Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 3,032 million euros in 2008.
About Agfa Graphics
Agfa Graphics offers integrated pre-print solutions for the printing industry. These solutions include consumables, hardware, software, and services for production workflow, design and colour management. The Company’s CtP, CtF and digital proofing systems have positioned it as worldwide leader in the commercial printing and packaging industries as well as newspaper publishing markets.
Agfa Graphics is rapidly expanding its offer of products and solutions on the growing digital inkjet market. Its experience in both image technology and emulsions has provided the knowledge necessary to make high-quality systems for UV curable inks. Partnerships with industry leaders in development and manufacturing have expanded the scope of its technology and permitted the company to develop comprehensive digital solutions for printing posters, banners, signs, displays, labels and packaging materials.
About Edale
Edale is based in Hampshire, in the South of England. Having been involved in the design and manufacture of narrow web flexographic presses since the 1950s, Edale has seen and indeed contributed towards - many changes in the industry.
In recent years, the management team has responded to changes in the worldwide market. Although still the UK market leader in flexographic printing, the company now sees itself as a reservoir of expertise in narrow web transport and has diversified into many different markets including: solutions for commercial security printing and converting, digital, and speciality converting and coating.
Contact:
Paul Adriaensen
Agfa Graphics Press Relations Manager
tel. ++32 (0)3/444.3940
e-mail:
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