L-R Kodak's Ivars Oiguss, Aurika Head of Prepress Deivis Kavaliauskas and Aurika General Manager Arūnas Akstinas
Aurika Adds KODAK FLEXCEL NX Certification To Expanding Roll Of Honors
Lithuanian flexo label and packaging manufacturer Aurika is the newest member of the global community of KODAK FLEXCEL NX users that have successfully completed the FLEXCEL NX Certification program.
Certification demonstrates that the FLEXCEL NX Plates Aurika manufactures consistently meet Kodak’s standard global specification and is the latest in a series of awards for a business that is widely regarded as the leading flexo printing house in the Baltic region. They include reaching the final of the 2017 Label Industry Global Award for Innovation, winning a European Business Award 2017-18 for international expansion, and inclusion in the London Stock Exchange Group’s list of “1000 Companies to Inspire Europe.”
Based in Kaunas, 100 km from the capital Vilnius, Aurika was founded in 1991 — the first year of Lithuania’s independence — and employs around 400 staff across two production sites for secondary and primary packaging. Sales in 2018 reached €44.2 million, a rise of 10% on 2017, with over 70% of production exported to more than 20 countries in western and northern Europe, particularly to Germany and Scandinavia. Aurika produces self-adhesive labels, flexible packaging, aluminium and PET lids, wraparound and in-mould labels for clients of all sizes, including a number of global brands. In the last two years the company has added personalized digital packaging and augmented reality (AR) technology and has recently expanded its services to include extended color gamut printing.
Competing with gravure
“We started using FLEXCEL NX in 2011,” says Aurika’s General Manager Arūnas Akstinas, “which was when we began producing flexible packaging. What particularly impressed us was the DigiCap NX screening technology, which our tests showed produced better ink coverage on solvent-based printing with significantly higher quality. Add to this the fact that compared to competitors’ offerings, FLEXCEL NX Plates are good for much longer print runs, and we are now competing successfully and cost-effectively with gravure printing.” To give an idea of the volumes Aurika handles, in 2018 they fulfilled on average almost 6,000 orders a month, comprising 1,900 individual products and consuming over 4,000 plates.
Gaining FLEXCEL NX Certification is important for Aurika, continues Akstinas. “It shows we meet the rigorous benchmarks that Kodak sets for optimum, consistent print quality. Our customers tell us we do, and our quality control people know we do, but having the official stamp of approval will help us win new business as well.”
Kodak established the Certification Program for KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates in 2013. Achieving Certified Partner status demonstrates that KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates produced by certified providers are made to a standard Kodak global specification, representing a feature set that drives industry-leading efficiency, stability and quality in print. It is a benchmark for quality and efficiency that reflects the high standards of the customer operations and the product being produced and is supported by comprehensive data measurement and recommendations from satisfied clients.
Source: Kodak
