Miraclon launches Flexcel Prime plate

According to the company, the Flexcel Prime plate combines a new plate and film structure developed through a multi-year research and development programme. The technology has already been installed at more than 30 customer sites in 14 countries and has been used in over 5,000 commercial print jobs during field validation.

Reid Chesterfield, chief technology and innovation officer at Miraclon, said the development reflects the company’s effort to improve operational performance in flexographic printing. “Flexographic printing is operating in an environment of tighter tolerances and greater production demands than ever before,” he said. “With Flexcel Prime, we set out to push the performance boundaries of the plate itself, reducing ink build-up and lowering impression requirements, which extend plate life.”

The new plate introduces three key features aimed at improving pressroom productivity. The first is a Lift Resist formulation that improves plate flexibility and stability, helping reduce plate curl and allowing easier mounting and remounting. This also supports greater plate reuse and more consistent performance during repeated runs.

The second feature, called Stay Clean properties, is designed to reduce ink build-up on the plate surface during printing. By improving ink release, the plate runs cleaner on press, leading to fewer press stops and easier cleaning between jobs.

Early users report measurable operational gains. During trials, one converter reported a 23% reduction in press downtime related to plate cleaning when switching from Flexcel NX plates to Flexcel Prime. The reduction in cleaning stops increased press uptime and improved overall production capacity.

A third feature, Seamless Fit Printing, allows the new plate to operate alongside existing Flexcel NX plates without requiring reprofiling, workflow changes or press adjustments. The plate has been engineered to match the density and surface characteristics of NX plates, enabling printers to run mixed plate sets on the same sleeve while achieving similar print results.

Emma Weston, Miraclon's chief marketing officer, said the focus of the new plate's development was improving pressroom sustainability and productivity during its online launch. “The biggest sustainability gains in flexo happen in the pressroom,” she noted. “By helping plates stay cleaner longer, improving reuse and maintaining performance with lower impression, Flexcel Prime enables printers to run longer and potentially faster while maintaining the high print quality and consistency associated with Flexcel NX plates.”

Miraclon has also introduced improvements in the platemaking process. The detack or light finishing step has been reduced from about 20 minutes to roughly five minutes, allowing faster plate production and potentially higher throughput in the plate room, Miraclon claimed.

The Flexcel Prime plate is commercially available, and Miraclon said it will be introduced to customers worldwide over the coming months.