Menasha Expands Pre-Print Capabilities

NEENAH, Wis.—Menasha Packaging Company announced a series of improvements to its pre-print facility in Neenah, Wisconsin. The investment, designed to streamline the company’s platemaking process, includes a newly constructed 2,800-square-foot facility, and new equipment and software. The project began in March, 2011 and was completed in the third quarter.

The improvements give Menasha’s Folding Carton Group the ability to break down files, separate, proof, and assemble plate-ready files, which are sent to the PrePrint Group where printing plates are produced in-house. Previously, the company purchased all components, plates, and separations from suppliers.

The new equipment includes an Esko 5080 Spark with HD Flexo (CDI) digital imager, a DuPont Cyrel 3000 ETL-I lift top exposure unit, and a DuPont Cyrel 3000i Inliner Plate processor. To minimize error, the new equipment will wash, dry, post expose, and light finish in one pass. A Plate-Vac 300 solvent recovery unit from PRI, inc. was also added to recycle the solvent critical to this process.

Commenting on the upgrades, Bill Gaffney, administrative sales manager, said Menasha can now provide better service to customers, and adjust to changes needed in a shorter period of time.“The speed will be really beneficial. In the past, if a plate needed changes or updates, it could take 24 to 48 hours to get a new one,” he said. “Now, the timeline will be hours rather than days.”