Asahi Photoproducts expands its AWP™ Ecosystem

Asahi Photoproducts, expert in sustainable flexographic plate development, will present its latest solutions for the label market at Labelexpo Europe 2025, hosted at the Gallus partner. The company will highlight theAWP™ Ecosystem, a water-based flexographic plate processing solution that aligns with Asahi’s “Solvent ZERO” strategy”.

At the heart of Asahi’s sustainable flexo strategy is the AWP™ Ecosystem. It is designed to eliminate solvents and minimize resource consumption, delivering both environmental advantages and measurable gains in production efficiency and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

At the exhibition, Asahi will outline its future direction by demonstrating the concept of the recently installed new AWP™ system using just water and no detergents in their plate processing.

• New AWP™ water plate
A water-washable photopolymer plate that requires just water for processing—eliminating the need for VOC solvents or detergents. It offers high-resolution print quality and contributes significantly to reduced press downtime, consistent performance, and simplified handling.

• AWP™-2530AA Plate Processor
A compact, all-in-one processor engineered for small-format plate sizes. It features a user-friendly interface, refined brush design for easy washout, and optimized fine-screening capabilities to ensure consistent color reproduction in short-run environments.

• AWP-LOOP™ Petite
A closed-loop water recycling unit that uses Asahi Kasei’s Microza™ membrane filtration technology to recover and reuse up to 90% of the process water. This significantly reduces wastewater and operating costs, enabling a more sustainable and efficient platemaking workflow.

By integrating these components, the AWP™ Ecosystem sets a new benchmark for solvent-free, small-format flexo platemaking, delivering both sustainability and enhanced productivity. The first AWP™ system which is using just water without detergents in the washout solution is currently installed at The Oldham Group in the United States.  The solution is expected to be commercialized soon. In addition to the AWP™ Ecosystem, Asahi will also provide insights into upcoming flexographic innovations. New AWP™ flat top plate enters high-quality segment compatible with all ink applications.

Asahi will be showcasing printing samples by a new FlatTop plate, which is currently developed to perform together with the latest screening and laserimaging technologies, aiming to meet the demands of high-end label and flexible packaging printers. The new plate is designed for high solid ink densities and fine, crisp, detailed printed characters and print samples could be previewed at Labelexpo.

Asahi plans to expand the modular AWP-LOOP™ system to support larger formats in the future. With growing interest in fully water-washable, additive-free plate processing, the company continues to expand its portfolio of sustainable solutions aimed at helping printers improve quality and reduce environmental impact.