Prepress

Skipnes invests in Agfas chem-free platemaking to support sustainability goals

Thursday 12. January 2023 - One of Norways largest graphic services providers, Skipnes Kommunikasjon has extended its long-term partnership with Agfa with the installation of a high-performance Avalon 8-up thermal platesetter combined with Adamas eco-friendly printing plates and clean-out unit.

As an industry leader, Skipnes takes its social and environmental responsibility very seriously always striving to find the most sustainable solutions for the benefit of its customers and employees. Any investment in equipment is carefully considered to ensure it complies fully with its pro-active environmental policy to minimize its carbon footprint and drive greener production methods.
The company serves private B2B customers as well as public institutions and universities with graphic design services and high quality printed material produced on its digital and offset presses. Headquartered at Heimdall in Trondheim, in central Norway, with a sales office in Oslo, Skipnes was established in 1957 and today employs 30 people. Their Agfa Apogee workflow with Storefront and an Agfa platesetter have played a central role for the €5m-turnover company since 2009.
“Agfa is a much-trusted partner for Skipnes and we have relied on their technology to place us in the position of preferred supplier of printed marketing and information material for many years. As we looked to take the next step in our sustainability journey, we once again found that Agfa had the best technology offering on the market, both in terms of environmentally friendly operation and superior plate quality.”
Consistent performance and high output quality
Part of a large investment plan that also included a move into brand-new premises and a new RMGT 8 color UV LED offset printing press, the Agfa platemaking setup leverages the power of the Avalon N8-90E computer-to-plate (CtP) line.
With high throughput and excellent image reproduction quality, this next-generation CtP consumes up to 88% less energy in standby mode compared to the previous model. It is perfectly complemented by the green credentials of the chemistry-free Adamas plates and associated eco-friendly Adamas clean-out unit (COU) – all part of Agfa’s ECO3 portfolio of sustainable innovations. These thermal plates require no pre-heating during the polymerization process due to Agfa’s patented ThermoLink technology, while the COU’s unique two-gum concept uses only 50 ml of liquid per square meter and minimal energy to clean out the plates. Furthermore, the COU has a long gum bath life and requires no water.
“Being able to deliver the highest quality output is naturally very important to us and to our customers, but so is sustainability, productivity and reliability. With Agfa, we get all of those, meaning we can continue with our strategy as a climate-neutral organization and proudly maintain our ‘Printed in Norway’ branding and strong presence in the market,” states Hagen.
Staying competitive and green
The Avalon CtP replaced an older Agfa platesetter, slotting into the existing set up easily and integrating with the Apogee prepress workflow which has served Skipnes well over more than a decade. Sold via Agfa’s Norwegian agent, Grafisk Kompani, the new system offers seamless production of best-in-class offset printing plates ready for the new press at Skipnes to produce a very wide range of demanding applications.
“The installation of the new system went very smoothly with only minimum downtime, which is a testament to the ease-of-use and quality of the Agfa equipment and to the great team at Grafisk Kompani,” comments Roald Skipnes, co-owner and CTO responsible for investments, workflow and services. “Our experience with Agfa over the years has been very positive and it is a partnership that we see continuing for a long time.”
As the market in Norway is shrinking with fewer companies active in the commercial offset print segment, having superior technology that also meet the demands for sustainability is ever more crucial. By opting for Agfa’s chem-free Adamas plate, Skipnes has clearly demonstrated its aptitude for choosing the most eco-friendly solutions and its dedication to a green ethos.
“In the past couple of years, we have invested significantly in facilities, people and equipment to stay at the forefront of technology and build on our success. The new sustainable solutions from Agfa will help us reduce the impact of print production on the climate, while staying competitive in a difficult market,” concludes Hagen.

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