Drukkerij VD

As a company with a deep dedication to sustainability, Drukkerij VD needed a printing plate solution that reflected that commitment, and pushed it even further.

Conventional processed plates use excessive amounts of water, and some damaging chemicals can be released into the environment during their disposal. By switching to KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, Drukkerij VD cut out these negative environmental practices, while also cutting its costs.

No industry is unaffected by the growing need to do business more sustainably. For Drukkerij VD it's ‘second nature' to care for the environment at the same time as running a profitable print operation. And they are right to be proud of the strides they've made in sustainable entrepreneurship. The company uses FSC-certified paper, gets between 40% and 60% of their energy use from solar panels installed on their roof space, and recovers rainwater to use as rinsing water for presses and in sanitary facilities.

But as long as they stuck with a conventional platemaking process, they couldn't avoid wasting water, consuming unnecessary amounts of energy, and having to dispose of hazardous chemicals.

The team was set on finding a platemaking solution that could help power their broader sustainability efforts. The right solution would also drive down their costs, all while ensuring that their employees were kept as healthy and happy as possible.

Drukkerij VD was already working with Kodak plates and the PRINERGY workflow solution, so adopting KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates was the natural next step.

SONORA Process Free Plates offered a host of environmental benefits, including a process free of chemistry, which would mean no volatile organic compounds being released into local water supplies, and no exposure to harmful chemicals for their team. They also promised to stop water waste, and to dramatically reduce the company's energy consumption.

SONORA also offered the promise of reduced costs, in everything from fees for disposing of chemistry, to processor maintenance, and the defects in plate processing that can cause press downtime and waste. SONORA's faster makereadies and greater dot stability also save time, paper, and money in the pressroom.

With SONORA, these benefits are achieved without sacrificing performance. Kodak could promise Drukkerij VD a plate to match unbaked wet processed plates in almost any application, thanks to SONORA's high imaging speeds, long run lengths, UV capability, excellent resolutions, and broad compatibility with presses, inks and mounts.

The switch to process free imaging, mounting and printing was straight forward for the team. Operators adjusted to how process free plates behave on the press at start-up, and made the transition with barely any loss of production.

Saying goodbye to the plate processor has allowed Drukkerij VD to make significant savings. In addition to the reduced energy bills, and costs from related activities, like chemical disposal, the company has been able to take the time used for the periodic maintenance of the old plate system and utilise it in the production process instead.

But the environmental benefit of the move to SONORA was the most important result for the company. They've reduced the processing of polluted water; they're no longer releasing volatile organic compounds into the environment; and the plates are fully recyclable. They've also reduced their energy consumption.

Thanks to KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates, Drukkerij VD can further build on their sustainability credentials – at the core of the company's purpose.