Drupa 2008: Focus on print

Special attention will be given at drupa 2008 by the Apex Group to its Genetic Transfer Technology for manufacturing UniCorr, UniFlex and UniCoat UniCorr, UniFlex and UniCoat metering rolls. The new technology is said to effect the transfer of ink in a way superior to any traditional roll, “due to a revolutionary roll surface”. According to Apex, neither the surface material nor the metering structure can be compared with any current anilox technology.

“One roll will cover the print options of a number of different traditional anilox screens and a smoother, denser lay of inks on solid areas is a consequence, because of less air,” the company states. The cleaning characteristics are also said to have improved greatly.

A new company dedicated to the label segment, Apex UniFli, will offer a special lightweight anilox roll with a body of anodized aluminium, “as durable and accurate as steel”.

Apex has also invested in the latest RFID technology for identifcation of anilox rolls. Customers can ask for anilox rolls to be fitted with a micro-chip, on which all relevant data will be stored. Thanks to the considerable memory of the carrier, this can vary from basic information (screen/volume specifications, date of production) to special data (date of installation, cleaning cycles, lifetime). Hall 11, stand 11B25

Ashe Converting Equipment is to show the new Opal EC compact, ergonomically designed label inspection slitter. Ashe says that, despite being an entry level machine with low capital outlay as the primary driver, it is feature rich and includes the proven Opal inspection path and driven rotary shear slitting capability. With an 800mm diameter unwind, 480mm rewind and an operational speed of up to 230m/min the Opal EC will be available in standard widths of 330 and 410mm. Hall 12, stand 12A25.

Supplier of dedicated personalization and encoding systems for the label market Atlantic Zeiser is to introduce the Omega 36 HD and enhanced Omega 210 high resolution digital inkjet printing systems, and the Smartcure Series ‘eco-friendly’ LED UV curing system. The company will also reveal new developments in in-house ink. Live demonstrations will highlight the precision and versatility of the Omega 36/36i and Omega 210, as well as the Cardline Versa card personalization system.

The 36 HD and 210 models are said to be lightweight and compact units easily integrated into most existing equipment, for web or sheet-fed applications on a wide variety of substrates, including paper and cartonboard, aluminum and plastics. With a resolution of 720dpi – compared with 360dpi for the Omega 36/36i – the new 36 HD in combination with Atlantic Zeiser’s proprietary inks is claimed to ensure clear and crisp printing of extremely small characters and produces bar codes with excellent readability and clarity. The enhanced 210 increases print width to 210mm with black and spot colour inks.

The Smartcure LED UV curing system offers cost savings and low energy consumption compared to lamp based systems, a 10x longer life, no ozone generation and lower cooling requirements. It comes equipped with an instant on/off functionality that eliminates energy consumption during machine stops.

The company now offers its inkjet technology to OEM partners for integration into third party systems. As a first result, Mabeg Maschinenbau (hall 9, stand 9A21) will present two Omega 36i with inspection cameras and two SmartCure 36i units. Hall 11, stand 11C56.

Recently appointed UK distributor for the Dienes range of knife and knifeholders Burcas manufactures precision metal cutting form tools, work rest blades and wear parts, as well as a range of bespoke and standard cutting tools for the paper and printing industries. Knife management systems and blade refurbishment services are also offered. Hall 10, stand 10E52/7.

Continuing its close co-operation with DuPont, EskoArtwork will present the CDI Advance Cantilever, a system specially developed to image large format sleeves and optionally conventional sheet plates for the flexible packaging market, trade shops and large volume converters.

DuPont and EskoArtwork say the Advance Cantilever, coupled with the new Cyrel Fast round system and the next generation of Fast round sleeves, will “deliver high class registration, improved print quality and reduced makeready times”. Also promised are excellent performance for quality flexo applications and continuous design repeats or complex nested mounting, smoother operation and faster press running speeds without compromising quality.

EskoArtwork will also launch the CDI Spark 4260 Auto fully automated digital imager, with new tools said to reduce previously required handling steps considerably and remove potential sources of error. Hall 8b, stand A23.

DuPont will introduce the Cyrel Fast round system, designed to reduce processing time for round sleeves significantly. It will fit seamlessly onto the CDI Advance Cantilever for production of high volume flexible packaging, “delivering high quality print results associated with gravure”. The Fast round system uses thermal technology and includes a ‘smart’ processing technique for developing sleeves.

The DuPont stand will have four demonstration areas: Flexo and Cyrel Sustainability, High Volume Flexible Packaging, Automated Multipurpose Flexo Workflow and Digital Corrugated Workflow. Hall 08b, stand B23.

DCM will present the latest innovations from the group’s four companies: DCM Usimeca, ATN, Holweg and the recently purchased US company HG Weber.

Holweg and Weber together will offer a complete line for paper bag manufacture in-line with six colour printing. ATN will introduce an in-line rotary cutter which can be inserted into a new printing line for board packaging, or to supplement an existent line. DCM Usimeca will highlight its latest developments in gravure printing, lamination, slitter rewinders and sleeve production machines.

The DCM range of slitter rewinders recently supplemented by Usimeca covers web widths from 600-1,800mm. Emphasis is given to machine productivity, based on innovations in the loading of the mother roll, the slitting section and finished reel handling. The slitter’s ‘user friendliness’ will be shown by regular demonstrations.

Usimeca will also present a new solventless laminator to complement its range of wax and hotmelt coaters, and dry and wet laminators. Rotogravure printing will also be represented by the Biva narrow web machine BIVA for short and medium print runs, and the new Brio large web shaftless model. Hall 10, stand 10E39.

Eltromat’s new video platform will be demonstrated with the webvideostar 1000 and webvideostar 2000 web inspection systems. The digital system technology, shown through simulator operation, is said to present a significant improvement of the illumination of the image detail of the web.

The new video systems are claimed to provide substantial time savings on job preparation and set-up.

A “world first” will be the combination of the webvideostar 2000 with a register control system, providing maximum waste and set-up time savings through automation. The jobcon-work station for data conversion and workflow competence will also be presented.

Of particular interest will be the PrintQualitySystem offcon4 with its integrated high performance modules for colour, vision and register. This all-in-one system will be presented with a new digital high performance camera. Short set-up times and extremely low waste values are claimed for the system. Also, the densicon2 in-line colour measurement and control system for offset printing will make its debut. Hall 16, stand 16A40.

Flexotecnica will be showing the new F12 12-colour CI sleeved gearless press, which incorporates “a number of important innovations” aimed at optimizing the machine’s productivity and efficiency. The print section, mounted on a rigid framework with cast iron frames of increased thickness, features a new print unit designed to ensure utmost stability and rigidity when printing at high speeds.

Integrated mobile lifting platforms on the front operator side of the machine are designed to ease changing of both print and anilox sleeves. Quick job change-overs are also aided by the Speedy Clean automatic ink wash-out system with a new doctor blade chamber cleared of all ink pipes and pneumatic sleeve ejectors to ease the extraction of print and anilox sleeves.

An additional feature is the pre-arrangement for retrofit of any cleaning systems for the CI cylinder, all aimed at making the housekeeping of the print section easier. The F12 also incorporates the SSC system (Safe Sleeve Change) developed by Flexotecnica to allow makeready of idle print units while the others are in use. Hall 16, stand 16B03.

HP will unveil a new generation of print engine that uses its liquid electrophotographic process to produce “true offset and photo quality results”. Three new models – the HP Indigo 7000, W7200 and WS6000 digital presses – all offer faster speeds and greater productivity than current models to deliver “significant improvements in break-even costs compared to analogue print methods”.

Expected to be available in early 2009, the WS6000 label and packaging press will offer twice the productivity of the current ws4500 model and is targeted at label and packaging converters with significant volumes of medium and short run jobs.

The ws4500 is now offered with an EskoArtwork digital front end to enhance both quality and productivity. In addition, the HP SmartStream Labels & Packaging Security Manager places unique identifying 2D bar codes or colour tiles on pharmaceutical labels to enable E-pedigree and track-and-trace.

HP Indigo presses will be the first hardware devices to employ the SmartStream Digital Workflow Portfolio, an open environment designed to meet a broad range of markets and applications, and provide workflow management from job creation to fulfilment. Hall 8a, stand 8aB26.

Interface will use drupa for the world premiere of its range of flexo presses, rotogravure units, coating and laminating machines, and special converting equipment. CI flexo presses are available with up to 10 colours on CI gearless or gear type, with conventional drying system or for UV inks. These machines will print materials from 600-2,500mm width, with print repeat from 300-1,500mm and speeds up to 500m/min. Rotogravure or independent flexo groups can be included in the machine configuration for varnishing and coating. Stack type presses are available in up to eight colours for in-line installation with extruders, paper or film bag making, or roll to roll.

Interface’s coating and laminating machines are the Solaris range for solvent/water based adhesive and the Lux series mainly for solvent-free adhesive in compact or standard configurations. Laminating widths range from 600-1,600mm and speeds, up to 350m/min. Hall 4, stand 4E58.

Jet Europe’s new generation CTP-LAM photopolymer flexo and letterpress plates are said to offer improved highlight quality and plate durability. The material’s special bonding properties and ultra thin, semi-transparent and highly elastic ablation mask layer enable reproduction of highly stable, resilient dots, it is claimed. Greater support is given to the shoulders, especially of the highlight dots, resulting in smoother printing and less wear during high speed printing or cleaning.

The semi-transparent laser-ablation mask layer consists of less carbon, reducing pollution of the washing equipment. It also offers excellent handling properties, remaining crack-free when flexed, according to Jet.

Aimed at the narrow web market, the compact Jetclean 600 system is said to ensure thorough, automatic and fast plate cleaning in a single production cycle. With a stainless steel frame, the unit is said to meet tight health and safety regulations, as there is no human contact with chemicals. Maximum plate size is 600mm x 850mm, enabling simultaneous processing of several plates.

The 700 CTP processor is the latest addition to the Jetline range, suited for the latest generation CTP plates. It features additional spraybars and filters for an in-line mask removal during plate washing. The new Interflex IF 9/13 handles solvent based photopolymer plate sizes up to 900mm x 1,220mm. It offers high productivity, low solvent consumption and “perfect quality results, time after time”. Hall 9, stand 9E56.

Komori Chambon’s reception zone on the Komori stand will provide full information on its new sleeve web offset press, which is suitable for printing cartons, liquid packaging and for several other markets. The new machine is said to offer versatility (gravure and/or combined offset with in-line converting), short makeready times with minimal waste and high speed ‘user friendly’ production through enhanced automation. Hall 15, stand 15D04.

The Kroenert Group's machine exhibits will aim to show that coating and lamination tasks can also mean fast ROI. “Retrofitting existing finishing systems is an option, as is integration of these innovative systems in new systems,” it states. “With sleeve technology for gravure rollers and smooth steel rollers in coating, high costs for completely new rollers and time and labour consuming roller changes are now a thing of the past. A single operator can change the engraved coating roller or the smooth roller required for production in a minimum of time, without any special tools.”

At the Kroenert Technology Centre in Hamburg, run with sister companies BMB and Drytec, the Slot-Die and Slide-Die technology allows the application of up to three layers without intermediate drying. The TC production line can handle working widths up to 1,300mm at speeds up to 1,600m/min.

Kroenert will also introduce Highdry 250/500, a new dryer generation with more power per metre of drying path and improved efficiency. The new generation of the HSR steam humidifier allows for higher throughput in humidifying and can be used with temperature sensitive materials such as thermal paper. Hall 10, stand 10A62.

For the first time, all paper companies of the Körber PaperLink group, including ECH Will, Pemco (with the SHM and Wrapmatic brands), Kugler-Womako and Winkler+Dünnebier, will be sharing a stand under the same roof.

Together they will showcase eight different systems for paper sheeting, converting and packaging. The range of products varies from Pemco’s for folio-size sheeting to Kugler-Womako’s for stationery. Winkler+Dünnebier will display a wide range of envelope and pocket machines. A highlight will be W+D’s new cutting systems for production of folding boxes. Daily machine demonstrations will show how these work in actual use.

Kugler-Womako will present its ProLoop double wire forming machine and ProPunch punching machine. The ProPunch can be used for different materials such as paper, board or plastics – products including register cards, calendar sheets or loose leaf dividers. A new development is a non-stop stacker.

In addition to the stand at Düsseldorf, ECH Will and W+D will stage Open Houses in Hamburg and Neuwied. Hall 11, stand 11B62 / C62.

Stamping foil manufacturer Kurz will present a new series of ‘flashy’ holographic design foils that are aimed at attracting buyers’ attention. These stamping foils supplement the company’s Light Line range, which contains many continuous designs with diffractive structures.

The new foil designs reflect current graphics and packaging trends, says Kurz. One foil, for example, shows a simulation of a textile application. The pattern comprises a network structure with a superimposed design to produce a mesh stocking appearance.

Kurz produces foil designs that range from high resolution images with clear, refractive structures to holographic patterns with contour-free, blurred transitions and depth effects. Hall 2, stand 2C46.

Martin Automatic will launch its Magnetic Driven Roller system for handling light webs at lower tension levels and higher operating speeds. The MDR technology can be applied to both web transport systems and to Martin’s high performance unwinds. Visitors will also see a high speed demonstration of MDR running a lightweight non woven web. The company will also be showing an MBS butt splicer that can handle substrates from unsupported film to paperboard. Hall 3, stand 3D46.

Static control exhibits from Meech International will include the recently launched 983v2 Static Locator, the 976 Feedback, which automatically optimizes static charge removal on fast manufacturing lines, and the Series 1000 web cleaner.

Said to provide accurate measurement of static electrical charges, the 983v2 locator has an easy-to-read digital output display and an ergonomic design. The 976 system is claimed to overcome the problem of static build-up on high speed printing lines by automatically sensing the residual static charge on the target material and reacting to it.

The Series 1000 combines static eliminators, brushes and a high power vacuum dust collection system. It is claimed to offer significant advantages over other web cleaners: no expensive consumables or machine downtime required for their replacement; no moving parts within the cleaning head for minimal maintenance; and no fall-off in performance over time. Stand 10E52-3, hall 10.

The Neuenhauser Vorwald stand will include the type 401 mechanical expansion shaft with improved expansion mechanics and precise concentric running for heavy winding weights and high speeds. The design is said to ensure ease of maintenance. Hall 11, stand 11C78.

New platesetters from Screen include the PlateRite FX1524, a mid-range flexo device said to generate a high quality dot and aimed at the the folding carton and flexible packaging market with a format of 1,067mm x 1,524mm. Stand 11C56, hall 11.

Stork Prints is to unveil the RSI-2 - an improved version of its Rotary Screen Integration module which can be “seamlessly integrated” into the architecture, software and mechanics of the latest generation printing presses. Key benefits include full interactivity, better user friendliness, faster makeready and a shorter learning curve.

The RSI-2 can be controlled through the main panel of the press, providing simultaneous, centralized monitoring of all rotary screen positions, alongside other printing and converting operations. A greater number of signals can be viewed at a glance, so that problems are detected almost instantly and remedied in a much shorter time, says Stork.

In addition, the module’s button-free touch panel, with an enlarged interface, is said to allow straightforward and unambiguous menu navigation. Improved ergonomics offer an outer cover that opens easily outwards and is accessible from ground level without physical strain. The squeegee hole is also wider to give more manoeuvrability during insertion.

While the RSI-2 will replace the existing modules in Stork’s standard RSI programme, the unit remains based on the company’s proven rotary screen technology, with the re-engraveable RotaMesh pure nickel, electroformed screen.

Stork has close partnerships with over 30 of the world’s leading press builders, to make rotary screen printing available both on new machines and existing presses. Modules come in widths from 254-1,000mm, in a wide range of repeat sizes to accommodate most web-fed substrates. Hall 3, stand 3C04.

The Uteco Group will feature its latest flexo and gravure printing innovations, especially the Diamond HP 808 high speed flexo press, which will be running on the stand. This machine has a top speed of 500m/min, deck makeready while the press is running and new pneumatically suspended, tool-less chamber doctor blades. It also has the P2P system for automatic correction of printing pressure at speed change and IDP (Ink Deck Presetting), which automatically sets registers and printing pressure at the start of a job.

At the show, the Diamond will be printing high resolution images on flexible packaging film with water based inks, using both photopolymer plates and engraved sleeves.

Two gravure units will also be displayed. A Q-Press model will feature Uteco’s “new frontier” in short run gravure printing: sleeve based cylinders with on-board sleeve change. This press comes standard with a direct drive electronic lineshaft, a fully automatic on-board washing system and the Smart Pack software for recipe management including multi-angle doctor blade control.

The other gravure unit will be an M-Press model featuring “tailor-made technology with the maximum flexibility in machine configuration”. This press offers direct drive of the engraved cylinder (electric shaft), job change by interchangeable trolleys and the Rotosmartpackod platform for improved performance and profitability in ‘on-demand’ gravure printing.

The stand will also host 3S Converting, Uteco’s global service company. Hall 3, stand 3E04.