Waste not, want not: The Kongsberg Cutting Table

Specialists in packaging artwork, reprographics and plate production, Creation Reprographics, has invested in a Kongsberg cutting table to minimise plate costs and waste for its print customers.

The final part of the pre-press cycle for plate manufacturers is the accurate cutting of processed plates for shipping to clients. Traditionally, the flexographic plate is cut from a large sheet of polymeric material, packed and delivered in a protective cardboard box. Residual polymer sheet surrounds each plate and the shipping box is a standard format.

The receiving printer then needs to further accurately cut and mount the plate, according to the local press requirements, resulting in additional cutting time, cost and waste.

With the investment in a Kongsberg cutting table by Creation, accurate cutting of the plate at the pre-press stage is now a reality, even on the most demanding materials or complex jobs.

Matt Francklow, Creation Managing Director, said: “It might sound like a simple thing but we are removing hours of wasted cutting and mounting time for our clients, which is very much appreciated.

“Our customers pay by the amount of material required so therefore they are now only paying for the product they use, not the waste that ends up on the floor.

“At Creation, we are using the Kongsberg to optimise the packaging of our plates as well. The table can accurately size the box corrugate to the plate, minimising shipping waste and materials. We provide a professional job for our clients that is good for their costs and the environment.”

Creation ensures that all of its flexo plates are automatically cut to ensure they are 100 per cent ready, resulting in a huge risk, time and cost saving for the printer, as well as increasing the longevity of the plates through round corner cutting.

Creation then also scribe and tattoo each of the plates to ensure they are permanently identifiable, which is essential particularly for pharmaceutical work auditing.

Francklow continues: “Creation prides itself on an extremely high focus on quality but that does not mean we are not acutely aware of minimising costs for our customers. We promote high quality plate systems, including the Asahi AWP water washable plate, and now with this investment, we have a fully automated, entirely accurate solution to maximise printer satisfaction and minimise their costs.”