On the eve of K Show 2025, Allstein hosted an exclusive industry event at its headquarters in Herford, unveiling what is being hailed as a historic breakthrough in packaging print production — the world’s first fully automated flexographic workflow demonstrated live.
The showcase brought together automation technologies from Allstein, Esko, Kongsberg PCS, and Asahi Photoproducts in a seamlessly integrated, end-to-end flexo production line. The demonstration underscored the growing shift toward automation as the industry addresses skilled labor shortages and aims to match the high efficiency of gravure printing through advanced digital and mechanical integration.
Attendees witnessed the complete flexographic process — from plate imaging, exposure, and processing to cutting, mounting, and printing — with minimal human intervention. The integrated setup featured Esko’s CDI Quartz plate imager and XPS exposure system, Asahi’s CrystalCleanConnect (CCC) automated plate processor, a Kongsberg PCS cutting table, and Allstein’s Genesis flexo press equipped with automatic mounting, sleeve, and anilox chamber handling. The system required only one operator, showcasing a new benchmark for workflow standardization and production efficiency.
Asahi’s CCC technology delivered processed, cut-ready plates directly to the Kongsberg table, streamlining throughput while reducing waste. The demonstration illustrated how the collaboration is advancing “Flexo 5.0” — a fully connected, intelligent, and sustainable production model.
Industry observers described the event as a milestone for flexo, marking the first public display of such extensive cross-vendor automation. In a symbolic finale, a photo captured at the start of the event was printed live on the flexographic press — proof that a new era of automated flexo production has arrived.