Stuart Robinson
Global Thermal Business Development Director
Thermal Processing:
Faster Plates. Simpler Operations.
Thermal solutions that help converters and trade shops reduce turnaround times, simplify plate production and support sustainability goals.
Why Thermal?
Printers and converters are under constant pressure to reduce turnaround times, improve productivity and meet increasing sustainability requirements without compromising print quality.
Thermal plate processing helps address these challenges through shorter production cycles and a more streamlined plate-making process. Modern thermal workflows deliver print results comparable to solvent-based technologies while reducing process complexity and accelerating plate availability.
In XSYS benchmarking, file-to-plate turnaround for a 1.70 mm plate was reduced from 175 minutes with solvent processing to 57 minutes with thermal processing. This was achieved by replacing traditional washing and drying stages with a single 24-minute LAVA processing step.
57 min
File-to-plate turnaround
20-30%
Lower TCO
Up to 48%
Lower CO₂ emissions
50+
Thermal customer sites worldwide
Thermal processing does more than reduce turnaround times. By eliminating solvent-related requirements such as development chemistry, solvent handling and disposal, VOC permitting and drying processes, thermal workflows simplify plate production and reduce operational complexity.
Combined with lower operating costs and proven flexographic print performance, thermal processing can help printers and converters improve efficiency across the entire prepress workflow.
| Plate making process steps | File to finished plate time Solvent plate* | File to finished plate time Thermal plate* |
|---|---|---|
| Imaging | 15 mins | 15 mins |
| Exposure | 10 mins | 8 mins |
| Processing | Rinsing – 20 mins | LAVA: 24 mins |
| Drying – 120 mins | ||
| Light finishing | 10 mins | 10 mins |
| Print-ready plate | 175 mins | 57 mins |
*Example for a plate with 1.70 mm / 0.067" thickness and size of 1067 x 1524 mm / 42 x 60"
One Partner.
One Thermal Workflow.
For successful thermal plate production, plates, processing equipment, workflow software and application expertise must work seamlessly to deliver consistent results.
XSYS brings these elements together in one integrated thermal workflow. Choose the plate solution that best fits your production requirements, including nyloflex® ITP-60, XVH and XAH, supported by the proven LAVA thermal processing platform, workflow integration through our collaboration with Hybrid Software, and global technical support.
From plate selection and workflow optimization to application support and training, XSYS helps customers implement and operate thermal plate production with confidence.
Erno Virkki Senior Operations Manager, Huhtamaki
“Over many years, XSYS has proven to be a reliable partner for our thermal platemaking operations. Their combination of thermal technology, application expertise and global service support has helped us maintain high standards across our production environment.”
Supporting Sustainability through Simpler
Plate Production
Thermal plate processing eliminates the need for solvents and traditional wash-out steps, helping reduce chemical consumption, water usage and industrial waste in prepress operations.
By simplifying the plate-making process and removing solvent-related requirements, thermal workflows can also reduce the environmental impact of flexographic plate production. Compared to solvent-based processing, thermal technology can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 48%.
The result is a more sustainable plate-making process without compromising print quality, productivity or operational performance.
Talk to Our Thermal Experts
Marcus Lepschy
Business Development Manager Thermal
Whether you are evaluating thermal technology or looking to optimize an existing setup, our team is here to help. Contact our thermal specialists to discuss the plate, processing and workflow solution that best fits your production environment.
Or, if you prefer a hands-on experience, discover thermal plate production in practice. Join a plate-making demonstration at our facilities in Willstätt, Ieper or Atlanta and see the technology, workflow and results in a real production environment.
Get in touch at thermal@xsysglobal.com