Stichnothe becomes first German company to achieve Esko XPS Crystal Certification

Esko has awarded Stichnothe, one of the leading providers of flexo printing plates in Germany, with XPS Crystal Certification.

The XPS Crystal Certification Program is open to users of the innovative Esko XPS Crystal exposure unit, including all plate vendors using all plate types. This award-winning technology optimally combines UV main-and back exposure by using LEDs that continually emit consistent UV light.

“The program was developed to recognize those businesses that produce superior flexo plates, which lead to outstanding flexographic print quality,” explains Pascal Thomas, Director of Flexo Business at Esko.

“We are thrilled that Stichnothe is the first company in Germany to achieve this accreditation,” he said. “Not only is certification a way for companies to communicate their best-in-class service offering to their customers, but it also underlines their flexo platemaking excellence.”

Dennis Melching, CEO of Stichnothe, said: “Optimal printing results are always based on individual and intensive advice. This is our experience, and it has been confirmed again and again over the past 60 years. Since our foundation, the company has stood for the combination of a modern machine park with competence, care, and responsibility. In short, we stand for absolute quality. We fulfill this expectation daily, with highly trained specialists who work to achieve the optimal solution in a goal-oriented manner – on every order. We are proud of that.”

As a certified Esko partner, Stichnothe benefits from benchmarking and identification of best practice around quality control processes and production efficiency. Certification also enables the business to promote an extra level of quality assurance to customers, as well as providing reassurance of best practice in production processes and confirming the consistent quality of final print.

“We developed the certification scheme to ensure the entire supply chain can meet the exacting needs and requirements of brands and converters. We meet their needs in terms of predictable and accurate plate quality and the highest plate making consistency available, for any given photopolymer,” added Pascal Thomas. “Stichnothe has a great history of delivering to the highest standards, and we are pleased to be able to recognize that through our certification program.”

Certification is offered as part of the XPS Crystal Hardware Care Plan, ensuring sustained quality improvement as opposed to a one-off effort to secure certification. The process can be started either on installation, during a preventative maintenance visit, or upon request.

The award winning Esko XPS Crystal technology won the prestigious FTA award, 2017 InterTechTM Technology Award, 2018 EFIA Technology award and the Red Dot Award for Product Design. The technology delivers a simultaneous and optimally controlled UV main and back exposure to produce highly consistent digital flexo plates.

For more information about the scheme, please visit www.esko.com/en/products/digital-flexo-platemaking/xps-crystal/certification

For more on Stichnothe, visit https://stichnothe-druckformen.de/ansprechpartner/