There are currently various rumours circulating about APX film and its future.
Some claim that there is already ‘fresh stock’ from new production runs, whilst others suggest that it will soon be produced fresh again at Agfa in Belgium, provided the quantities are right.
Discussions are heating up in various forums about whether casting can still take place in Leverkusen or whether the know-how for APX films is available in Belgium.
Technical terms are being bandied about; one reads of layer structure and the dismantling of casting machines, and there is speculation about Agfa’s former production sites.
If I am interpreting the relevant threads correctly, the reason for these various debates is the question of whether one:
1) Can count on a long-term supply of the material.
2) Shouldn’t rather support “active” suppliers with one’s purchases instead of buying cheap clearance stock that makes life difficult for those still in business.
Firstly, I’d like to clear up some of the confusion.
1) All APX variants currently on offer originate from Leverkusen and date from before the bankruptcy.
2) ‘Fresh stock’ currently coming onto the market is derived from semi-finished products that have been stored correctly and are now being ‘freshly’ packaged. It is perfectly normal to describe such goods as fresh and to date them accordingly. This is handled in exactly the same way elsewhere. It depends largely on the correct storage of the semi-finished products (temperature, protection from radiation). This is part of the normal production process.
3) I cannot confirm the rumour that Agfa produced the black-and-white films at Gevaert. I suspect that paper production is being confused with film production here. It was precisely this ‘division of labour’ that took place (emulsion production in Leverkusen, coating at Gevaert), as the L6 had too much capacity and high set-up and run-down costs for smaller production runs.
It is possible that films were coated in Belgium on the odd occasion. However, according to all the information available to me, the emulsion production for APX took place in Leverkusen.
4) The layer structure of a film, particularly that of the APX series, is more complex than the number of emulsions in the finished film would suggest.
5) The consistency of emulsions, and thus of the finished material, does not depend on the casting machine but on the effort expended in the quality control of raw materials and in the management of emulsion production. In fact, the consistency of the product is actually enhanced when filling and maturing are carried out in smaller batches, as this increases the number of possible blends. The casting machine, in turn, is responsible for the uniformity and flawlessness of the casting process.
Now to the future.
There are evidently various efforts to save APX films or keep them on the market, driven by different objectives.
I can provide specific answers regarding one project, namely our own:
ADOX intends to secure the long-term supply of black-and-white material for its own distribution by establishing its own photographic manufacturing facility.
To this end, the necessary equipment for the production of photographic emulsions, for test coating and for processing has so far been acquired from Agfa’s insolvency estate; a factory site near Berlin has been purchased; and a specific research project has been launched with former Agfa staff to develop the technology for producing films with properties comparable to APX and to adapt it to our small machine.
The aim is to be able to produce a complete range of black-and-white materials ourselves in the medium term.
I have been working on this since 2003, when FOTOKEMIKA was on the brink of collapse, and the rapid upheavals in the market that began shortly afterwards have strengthened my resolve in these endeavours.
There are still a few hurdles to overcome before we are able to produce in our own factory.
The biggest unknown is always the question of financing. The entire project has so far been funded from our own resources, and these are only available to the extent that ADOX and FOTOIMPEX make a profit.
Next on the agenda is the dismantling of the equipment in Leverkusen. This will be followed by the conversion of the factory and the re-erection of the equipment (timeframe: 2007, 2008, 2009).
If all goes well, we will ultimately be in a position to conduct research, internalise technology and know-how, and manufacture photographic materials ourselves in very small batches.
However, for as long as possible, we will not run a complete in-house production operation at the site, but will outsource as many sub-areas as possible and use the facilities mainly for research purposes, emulsion production or quality control, supplemented by storage, packaging and distribution on site.
As nobody knows what the future holds, I consider it absolutely essential to be capable, at least in theory (even if at costs that are currently still completely unrealistic), of producing ourselves.
If all our contractors were to pull out, we would simply have to do it ourselves.
We want to uphold high quality standards and, with the first products to emerge from the project, immediately set a virtually unrivalled standard of quality.
The products will not be cheap, but should be in line with the alternatives on the market.
Within a reasonable timeframe, the plan is to launch products that have almost identical characteristics to those of the following well-known products:
Agfa MCP (Timeline August–November 2007, new name: MCP)
Agfa MCC (Timeline: April 2008, new name: MCC)
APX 100 (Timeline: Autumn 2008, new name: ADX 100)
APX 400 (Timeline: Autumn 2008, new name: ADX 400)
APX 25 (Preliminary plans for 2008, new name: ADX 25)
The setting up of the factory and the product launch can run in parallel, as all plant and machinery are duplicated in identical form. One set at ADOX and one with the former Agfa staff. It will later be possible to produce at both sites.
As for the speculation regarding the possible production of similar materials at Gevaert, I can only say that, according to all the information available to me, they are not in a position to manufacture APX films there. Of course, Agfa in Belgium can produce black and white films. And whatever they produce for whomever will certainly be of outstanding quality. However, I would be very surprised if it were a film identical to APX.
Let’s wait and see. If necessary, we’ll simply have good products from Mortsel and good products from Berlin.
Against this backdrop, I hope that as many customers as possible will remain loyal to Agfa’s products, take advantage of the current bargain offers from the bankruptcy estate, and later be prepared to pay a fair price, thereby helping to secure the long-term supply.
Best regards and have a lovely weekend,
Mirko
FOTOMANUFAKTUR WEBSITE
