Flexo Plate Sleeves

Next generation ITR technology

Another enabling technology for the use of sleeves in flexo is direct ablation photopolymer imaging. Solvent washable, water washable, and even the newer dry thermal plating systems all share a similar preparation cycle requiring multiple exposures, washout, drying, and post-processing. In the direct ablation process, lasers etch away the non-image areas of the photopolymer and the residue is simultaneously collected by vacuum and disposed of as solid waste. This imaging process—consider it like a reverse gravure engraving process—doesn't require the additional preparation steps of washable or dry thermal platemaking.