DuPont is marking the installation of its 1,000th Cyrel FAST thermal flexographic plate processing system, at the Florence, Kentucky USA facility of leading global graphics services provider SGS International.
First launched at Drupa in 2000, the DuPont Cyrel FAST system eliminates the need for processing solvents and completely eliminates the drying step.
This reduces greenhouse gas generation by more than half, and non-renewable energy consumption by over 60%, the company says: “Over the last nine years, the shift to Cyrel FAST has offset over 91 million pounds (41.3m kg) of carbon dioxide, and saved the energy equivalent of over 5 million gallons (19m litres) of gasoline.”
“We were one of the first Cyrel FAST customers for DuPont and we now have 17 FAST units in plants around the globe,” says Marriott Winchester, senior vice president SGS.
“We initially liked the system because it was a dry process with a small footprint and rapid-access platemaking capability.
“And, with its improved environmental performance, we could easily expand capacity or start up new operations and with confidence that we would fall within local regulatory guidelines.”
The two key elements of the DuPont Cyrel FAST system are a compact thermal processor and a special Cyrel FAST flexo plate specifically designed for dry thermal processing.
The Cyrel FAST processor is currently available in both a 35”x 47” and a 42” x 60” format, and a 52” x 80” version will be introduced at Drupa 2012.
Cyrel FAST Plates are available in a wide variety of sizes, thicknesses and types to fit the widely varying needs of the flexographic packaging industry.
SGS International is global leader in the digital imaging and communication services to the international consumer products packaging market, offering a full spectrum of innovative digital solutions that streamline the capture, management, execution and distribution of graphics information.
DuPont Packaging Graphics is one of the world’s leading suppliers of flexographic printing systems in digital and conventional formats, including DuPont Cyrel brand photopolymer plates, DuPont Cyrel FAST processing equipment, DuPont Cyrel round sleeves, mounting and finishing products.
The Cyrel FAST system by DuPont
