Eco3 is expanding the automation capabilities of its Apogee IQ platform to include offset plate management through a partnership with the German manufacturer Nela. Scheduled for the second quarter of 2027, this integration will link job planning to the control, tracking, and routing of plates to the presses.
Unveiled in September 2026, the IQ version As part of its prepress workflow, Apogee is a software platform that connects print shop management systems, production equipment, and operational data. With Nela, Eco3 plans to automate certain physical prepress operations.
This partnership focuses on the integration of job planning, plate inspection, tracking, and routing to the presses. Information from prepress can thus be utilized by Nela?s systems to organize the processing and flow of plates throughout the print shop. Manual handling, the risk of errors, and material waste will be reduced, and plate traceability will be simplified.
"Printers are increasingly looking for solutions that connect every stage of production and eliminate manual interventions." , explains Arnaud Becuwe, global director of software at Eco3. ?With Apogee IQ, we?re developing an open automation platform that brings together the best technologies from partners such as Adobe, Bodoni, PlanProphet, and now Nela. Together, we?re helping printers create smarter and more efficient production environments,? he says.
