Kodak has announced that volume of KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates increased 50 percent in 2015, powered, in part, by sales in all 50 of the United States. Customers across the world have realised the economic and environmental benefits of SONORA Plates, which deliver the print capabilities and productivity of mainstream plates without the processing and chemistry.
Kodak anticipates further consistent growth worldwide following the announcement of new SONORA Plates suitable for UV printing at drupa 2016. Designed to meet the rigorous demands of UV print applications increasingly used by today’s packaging and commercial printers, the new addition to the SONORA Plate portfolio will enable printers to take advantage of the expanded set of opportunities associated with UV technology, including flexibility and durability, high print quality, and faster drying times.
While process free plates are most closely associated with sheet fed applications, Kodak customers are reporting significant benefits from the use of SONORA Plates in new and innovative ways. These include web fed applications, where SONORA Plates are rated for run lengths of up to 200,000 impressions, along with large format (VLF) applications including posters and printed display board. SONORA Plates are also rated for up to 50,000 impressions for offset packaging applications and up to 10,000 impressions for short-run UV printing. With SONORA Plate production facilities now located in the USA, Europe and China, more than 3,000 customers across the globe benefit from faster supply, support and customer service.
“We continue to invest in R&D to provide new, innovative plate solutions for our worldwide customer base that deliver on our commitment to sustainability, productivity and image quality,” said Brad Kruchten, President of Kodak’s Print Systems Division (PSD). “The continued adoption of SONORA Plates around the world underscores the industry’s demand for more sustainable printing solutions to address new applications and opportunities, all while increasing profitability.”
