Miraclon, the company behind Kodak Flexcel Solutions, has opened up a new flexo plate manufacturing line named Gemini in Oklahoma, US.
The company invested US$15 million in this flexo plate manufacturing line and is its second – its first is in Yamanashi, Japan. It took two and a half years for the project to complete.
The company said the second facility will complement its current manufacturing facility and positions Miraclon to respond to customer demand for Kodak Flexcel NX plates.
“Initially manufacturing flexographic plates for customers in the US, Canada and Latin America, the new manufacturing line will enable the company to keep up with demand after seeing year-on-year double digit Flexcel NX plate volume growth for the past five years,” the company said, in a statement.
Miraclon CEO Chris Payne said the new manufacturing line is a major company milestone and was designed to meet increasing industry demand for higher quality flexographic printed packaging, with more cost effective and efficient production processes.
“This is a momentous occasion for Miraclon. Just six months after our spin-out from Kodak, we mark one of our first major milestones with the completion of this project; on time and on target,” he said.
“While it demonstrates Miraclon’s ongoing commitment to invest in and expand the market for flexographic printing, the second manufacturing facility also brings source of supply closer to a large portion of our customer base and expands the manufacturing footprint of Flexcel NX plates to two sites.”
The new line produced its first Kodak Flexcel NX plate in October 2018, after which rigorous testing and alignment with the Yamanashi facility began to ensure the manufacturing technology delivers on the same performance and quality.
“We can only continue building on our sector-leading legacy by ongoing investment in our employees, customers, R&D team and infrastructure. This is exactly what we’re doing,” Payne said.
“Today we’re not only celebrating the official opening of our second plate manufacturing line, but also Miraclon’s entry into its next phase of working with customers to shape the future of flexo.”
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter