Breakthroughs in LED Platemaking Mechanisms: Gimmick or Real Innovation?
Get the latest on prepress software technology - all explained in one article!
Packed with useful info! A deep dive into the current development of prepress laser engraving technology, all in one read!
Earlier, we talked about some of the recent tech advancements in prepress software and laser engraving. Now, let's take a look at some new breakthroughs in LED exposure machines in the platemaking field.
PART.01
XPS Spark - The Rise of LED Surface Exposure Equipment
In 2025, a notable change in the platemaking world is that the new generation of LED surface exposure systems, represented by XPS Spark, has entered the mainstream spotlight, marking a reevaluation of the "high-energy scanning exposure" approach in the industry.
Scanning exposure has significant advantages in dot stability and micro-hole screening, but it also comes with high energy consumption, complex structure, and expensive costs. As flat-top plates gradually mature, the need to use ultra-high-energy scanning exposure to "forcefully create flat-top dots" is decreasing.
LED surface exposure systems, with simpler structures, lower energy consumption, and higher efficiency, offer a more cost-effective solution for a large number of users whose quality demands aren't at the extreme level.
Figure 12 XPS Spark 4835 flexographic exposure device
The XPS Spark 4835 is a flexible LED exposure device to be released by ESKO in 2025, featuring a single-sided exposure design and optional traditional tube debonding and post-processing units. The biggest difference from the XPS device is that it abandons high-energy scanning exposure, returning the plate-making process to the traditional "back exposure-laser engraving-main exposure" approach.
ESKO's XPS series equipment features "simultaneous exposure of front and back" as its main selling point, with advantages including: (1) generating more stable minimum dots; (2) achieving conversion from dome dots to flat dots through ultra-high UVA energy; (3) superior performance in surface screening. To this end, ESKO has also applied for a patent for "simultaneous exposure of LED front and back."
The XPS series is widely regarded as a relatively mature LED exposure solution due to its excellent plate-making performance and high repeatability. However, its shortcomings are also obvious, such as slower exposure speeds compared to traditional surface light sources; high equipment prices, which limit widespread adoption; and complex optimization of plate-making parameters, which is a huge workload for ESKO and material suppliers.
Currently, the XPS series equipment can still be considered widely used and stable in performance LED exposure equipment, because the overall performance gap between many domestic LED exposure machines and XPS equipment varies greatly. The vast majority of domestic manufacturers remain in the stage of simple and blind copying. These manufacturers, as catchers, lack a comprehensive understanding of LED exposure and plate making, making it difficult for domestic scanning equipment to gain favor with high-end customers.
The launch of the XPS Spark 4835 marks a major shift in ESKO's approach to LED devices, and also signifies that LED exposure technology has entered a new stage in technology and product development-namely, the LED surface exposure era. Surface exposure equipment does not require ultra-high energy. As flat-top dot printing plates have become increasingly popular, there is no longer a need to continue using high-energy exposure to produce flat-top dot printing plates. In addition, the benefits of surface exposure equipment include:
1. Surface exposure equipment can greatly shorten the main exposure time and improve plate making efficiency.
2. Overall cost and energy consumption for plate making are reduced, installation and maintenance are simpler. Surface exposure equipment lowers LED energy output, uses an air cooling system, eliminates the need for large water cooling equipment, eliminates the need for scanning mechanisms on the machine, and significantly lowers manufacturing costs.
3. In terms of plate-making process, it returns to the traditional process, which involves backing exposure before laser engraving. According to ESKO, the plate-making parameters of the XPS Spark4835 are fully open, allowing users to better control the plate parameters. Of course, ESKO no longer needs to conduct extensive testing to optimize different plates.
Unfortunately, the XPS Spark 4835 does not feature the long-awaited LED UVC and UCA exposure units, likely due to cost considerations.
The launch of Quartz reflects ESKO's technological progress in the high-end flexographic printing field, while the launch of the XPS Spark marks a new stage in LED exposure development. It is foreseeable that in the future, ESKO will continue to position the XPS in the high-end market where technologies like Quartz and Crystal are coordinated, while the XPS Spark will serve a broad customer base with relatively lower plate-making quality requirements and greater attention to equipment cost.
PART.02
EVO 3 EDLF LED - a combination of LED exposure machine and rapid drying
Vianord Engineering was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Carros, France. It specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of flexographic plate-making equipment, with a business direction focused on providing highly automated, modular, and end-to-end compatible flexographic plate-making systems. Vianord claims its advantage lies in its internal control from design, engineering, simulation, manufacturing, assembly, commissioning to final delivery, and can provide customized systems and high-quality control. In the industry, Vianord is regarded as one of the providers of fully automated, highly automated flexible plate equipment, especially with active layouts in solvent-free, washable, energy-saving, and green plate-making.
Currently, Vilnod has supplied a large number of equipment to many major international suppliers. It is also reportedly developing more compatible thermal plate-making equipment and has delivered prototypes to plate manufacturers for internal testing.
In 2025, Vilnod officially launched the long-rumored LED exposure machine and rapid dryer Dryer+ all-in-one. The standout feature of this device is that it can significantly shorten drying time and reduce energy consumption-thick plate drying time is about 50% shorter, thin plate drying time by about 30%, and energy consumption is reduced simultaneously.
Since the technology is still in the patent application stage, Vilnod has not disclosed further details about the product at present. The company claims that two installed units are currently operating in Italy. If this technology is validated in real-world testing, it will have a significant impact on the industry: the efficiency advantages of thermal sensitivity and washing processes will be further squeezed, potentially changing the competitive landscape of flexographic plates.
Figure 13 Vernor launched the EVO 3 EDLF LED
PART.03
Flex-Pose LED 520 – Continuously advancing scanning LED exposure units
Glunz & Jensen was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Denmark. It's one of the key manufacturers in the prepress equipment field. The company originally focused on developing offset plate-making equipment, but in recent years it has gradually expanded into flexographic plate-making and digital printing equipment, emphasizing automation, digitalization, and energy efficiency control.
In the flexo sector, Glunz & Jensen has focused on developing LED exposure, drying, and curing systems. Its latest Flex-Pose LED 520 exposure unit uses solid-state lighting to replace traditional fluorescent tubes. According to its marketing materials, its features include: (1) stable exposure energy, with a concentrated and uniform LED light spectrum, greatly reducing the issues of light decay and energy drift found in traditional tubes; (2) low heat radiation, which effectively minimizes temperature rise and improves process stability; (3) longer lifespan, with LED sources lasting significantly longer than fluorescent lamps; (4) significant energy savings, estimated to save five-digit euros in energy costs over a 3-year operation cycle.
Glunz & Jensen's LED exposure units are fully open systems, allowing users to customize their own plate-making parameters, although the machine already comes with 34 preset plate parameters. Externally, the machine looks very complete, with professional attention to appearance and detail, but its long-term stability and actual performance still need to be verified in the market.
Figure 14: Flex-Pose LED 520 Exposure Machine launched by Gu Longyan