Kodak Process-Free Plates Eliminates Printers’ Water, Chemical, Energy Use

Kodak today opened a new manufacturing line to meet demand for its Sonora Process Free Plates, which eliminates the water, chemical and energy use required by processed plates without sacrificing quality or productivity.

The manufacturing line, at Kodak’s Columbus, Georgia facility, is the first time these plates have been manufactured in North America.

Because Sonora Process Free Plates don’t use processing chemistry, printers can remove their processing equipment. Without processing equipment, printers can completely eliminate their water, chemical and energy usage related to processing plates, which saves the average printer using 20,000 square meters of plates up to $99,000 annually.

Printers — more than 2,700 around the world — use Sonora Process Free Plates to produce a variety of print applications including commercial print, books, newspapers and packaging. The company says it has seen a 66 percent year over year growth in its customer base.