ATLANTA, GA—Founding partners MacDermid Graphics Solutions and SOMA are looking forward to addressing flexographic challenges as well as conducting customer trial tests in the newly inaugurated Flexo Xperience Center (FXC). The FXC is a collaborative center for premedia suppliers, printers, converters, brands, CPGs, students and educational institutions—anyone interested in flexography to experience the best that flexography has to offer. It is the first and only flexography-focused center to explain the print story from start to finish.
Recently, The Flexo Xperience Center Inaugural Open House was successfully attended by nearly 200 key players—a “who’s who” of people involved in the business and advancement of flexographic printing. The FXC is truly a flexographic partnership sharing in the mission of moving flexography forward. Along with MacDermid and SOMA, industry partners involved in The FXC include: 3M, Apex International, AV Flexologic, BST Group, CleanPlanet Chemical, ColorConsulting, CSW Inc, Daetwyler, DAM, Digimarc, Esko, Esterlam International, Flexo Wash, Flint Ink, GMG Color, Hamillroad, Harper Corporation of America, HYBRID Software, Interflex Laser Engravers, Kongsberg Systems, Lohmann, Polymount, Provident Group, Rossini, Rotec, Sandon Global, Sun Chemical, Tech Sleeves, tesa tape, Troika Systems and X-Rite Pantone. The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of The FXC; a tour of MacDermid’s Global Headquarters, The FXC and The Works; a SOMA Optima2 press demo with live job changeover showing how fast the process can be; networking time with event attendees and the partners of The FXC; and a cocktail hour with live music. A short video of the event can be seen at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-fxc/.
The Flexo Xperience Center is a place to collaborate, research, experiment and learn together to achieve excellence in the flexographic process.
The extensive cooperation between partners makes The FXC a unique environment—a one-of-a-kind, global innovation center designed to help companies involved in flexography and packaging explore state-of-the-art solutions. It includes a full suite of the latest prepress software, plate and print analysis technologies, thermal and solvent plate making systems, and liquid photopolymer plate making equipment. The SOMA Optima flexographic press expands the facility to include product benchmarking, print trials, hands-on press training, print application research and print troubleshooting.
“MacDermid has partnerships with many companies and is extremely pleased with the way everyone’s efforts coalesced into an all-encompassing facility,” explained Meghan Richburg, global program manager, Experience Center, MacDermid Graphics Solutions. “The FXC has all of the equipment and manpower to allow global flexo and packaging companies to collaborate on innovations, optimize processes, and create new standards for flexo excellence. We look forward to all of the exciting work that will come out of the FXC. We encourage visitors to come xperience The FXC and move flexo forward with us.“
“The mission of The FXC is simple—to move flexo forward. This global center will combine hands-on and virtual visits for a one-stop-shop for the flexo printing industry’s entire workflow to experience. We are excited to see the impact this center will bring to the industry,” states Brad Wills, global SVP, MacDermid Graphics Solutions.
“SOMA’s goal has always been to play a significant role in the advancement of flexo printing—not only in the development of effective equipment, but by acknowledging that our influence is one part in an industry-wide effort,” commentED Pavla Kusa, SOMA commercial director. “The FXC is an unprecedented venue to allow all of us to explore new ways to move flexo forward.”
“SOMA’s request to the flexo printing community is very simple: Challenge us. The FXC is ready to accept and print the demanding jobs we receive,” remarks Garrett Taylor, SOMA sales director, US and Canada. “We sincerely believe that ‘the next big flexo innovation‘ will come out of The FXC. Our objective is to push the envelope of what flexo can do.“