Agfa Expansion Brings Digital Platemaking to North America

Published: August 06, 2001, By PRESS RELEASE

RIDGEFIELD PK, NJ, USA—Agfa is expanding its plate-manufacturing capacity in its existing Branchburg, NJ, facility. Co. says products to be added to the operation's production line include Thermostar (Agfa's thermal offering) and the N91 plate, part of the co.'s visible-light assortment.

Agfa says the six-million dollar investment in its Branchburg, NJ, facility is, in part, due to the growing demand for digitally produced printing plates. The co. reports, up to this point, the Branchburg plant had been dedicated to the analog platemaking needs of Agfa's North American customers.

"The expansion of the Branchburg facility demonstrates Agfa's continuing leadership role as a supplier in the rapidly emerging CTP (computer-to-plate) technology [realm]," says Agfa's Hans van Cauwenberghe. "Our aggressive response is consistent with [our] overall marketing initiative. To that effort, our customer is key. It's for their benefit, and...ours, that [we] invest in its future with calculated expansions across the globe."

Completion of the expansion project is expected in October 2001, with full manufacturing ramp-up for thermal and visible-light plates by year end.

More Agfa product and company information can be found on the co.'s home page @ www.agfa.com.