Committed to innovation – changing the game
Innovation…
is at the core of our business and is clearly recognised by the industry being awarded FIAUK repro house of the year for five years running – 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
At Contact, innovation is our life blood. We’re constantly searching for ways to boost our customers’ performance. Whether it’s helping them save time and money by simplifying processes or driving print quality and operational efficiency, the Contact Team is truly focused on making a difference and not just doing the basics.
Nick Mitchell, Operations Director
Plate Technology Innovation
MagnaForma™ Corrugated Plates
The widest corrugated plate on the market optimising print production and reducing waste, MagnaForma technology can today be produced on any plate type. Contact Originators works with a number of suppliers including Flint Group, MacDermid Graphics Solutions and DuPont to produce a plate technology with the highest stability for optimum long run print performance. The MagnaForma solution retains a 0.2mm register across the print and the butt join, even when used on solid colours, which cannot be identified due to the company’s investment in specialist mounting kit and software.
Software Innovation
Optimus
Contact Originators developed Optimus – an innovative plate technology that delivers improved ink laydown and ink savings in the corrugated printing process.
Following years of trials on different plate surface patterns, different plate types and LED exposures, Optimus combines novel studio techniques to provide printers with proven savings while maintaining superior graphics performance. Recognising its success, the innovative plate technology was named winner in the Business Process category at the annual Stationers’ Awards ceremony.
Hardware Innovation
Discover our jointly developed automated digital shim printing technology, PrintHQ, for corrugated printers.
Since 2000, Contact Originators and AV Flexologic B.V., based in The Netherlands, have worked together to deliver value and innovation for key stakeholders in the flexographic printing industry.
Martijn Otten, Managing Director comments: “The Contact team never fail to surprise me with their insight and ingenuity. Working together, we share the same passion for research, development and continuous improvement and have secured some great wins in terms of new innovations that change the game for the industry. For example, working together on Print HQ, which went on to win a Technical Innovation award at FIAUK, is typical of the ground-breaking work we do together.”
Innovating through partnership
At Contact, we are acutely aware that we do not always have all the answers or skills in house. Our success in driving innovation comes from partnering with a number of other packaging industry suppliers that complement our work.
Esko
Esko, a leading global supplier of hardware and software to the packaging industry, works closely with the Contact team on a number of fronts – developing new plate and processing technologies, as well as digital software solutions to drive productivity and efficiency.
XSYS
Xsys, a leading global manufacturer of plate processing technology including the nyloflex range of polymer plates, works with the Contact team to deliver inline prepress excellence at our Dukinfield site.
ALT Anilox – Ade Morton
It is refreshing to work with a partner that truly understands flexo and works together with us to solve problems at our customers, taking a comprehensive and innovative approach every time. Printers need suppliers that step up and collaborate to support them when there’s a problem, and that’s what we see whenever we work with the Contact team – a company that genuinely focuses on the customer’s needs and success.
Flint Group – Paul Winstanley, Vice President R&D and Technology
Working alongside Contact Originators at many printers in the UK and beyond, we know the team is setting the standard in prepress performance. We see outstanding results at printers where they are the core repro and plate supplier. Their focus on innovation is second to none and it’s always a pleasure to collaborate with them on projects at customers. I know their investments in plate technology innovation and workflow automation give the responsiveness and agility the market needs today, and the quality standard is exceptional.
Arden Dies – John Paul Brookes
As a leading name in die-making, we like to work with suppliers and partners that understand our commitment to quality. That’s certainly the case working with the Contact Originators team. We have a great relationship with their highly skilled workforce and of course, being Manchester-based like us, we work together to deliver the first-class service today’s printers have come to expect.
