Stork Prints Celebrates 20 Years of Laser Engraving Technology

In 1999, the multi-beam laser technology, offering high precision imaging at much faster speed, was developed, in collaboration with the company formerly known as BASF Drucksysteme—now part of the Flint Group, whose new EPDM / rubber sleeve and polymer plate technology could withstand the intensity of engraving. This was the springboard for the arrival of direct engraving systems that would turn the engraving of printing forms for all relief-printing applications—flexo, letterpress and dry-offset—into a fully-integrated, two-step chemical-free process: engrave and rinse. As a result, there are a host of systems suited for many graphics markets, including narrow-web, flexible packaging and wallcovering, and the technology is increasingly accessible to companies with relatively smaller budgets.