Flexo news

14 November 2005




Edale takes to the platform

While Edale claims to offer "the complete solution" with its range of bespoke flexo presses, the company states: "Over the years we have come across a handful of enquiries whose solutions worked out too costly to be viable".

Now it claims to have an answer to these, too, in the new Lambda machine - billed as "a truly flexible converting and printing solution".

Designed with "complete reconfigurability" in mind, the Lambda can be configured to any single or multiple web paths imaginable, according to Edale. This is because all modules -converting, laminating, insetting, driven nip, print, unwind, rewind and idler rolls - are servo driven (100 per cent shaftless) and can be repositioned virtually anywhere on the press. Each module is positioned on a sliding platform on the base unit and can be easily moved along, or lifted out and then back in to a different location, making it "infinitely configurable".

Where, in the past, two or three fixed machines have been required, the Lambda replaces them with one compact, flexible platform to complete multiple varied jobs, even simultaneously, it is claimed.

"It is a new concept in the narrow web market, filling the gap many other flexo press manufacturers have not yet dared to bridge," the company boasts.

All driven modules have every axis independently servo driven to give very accurate registration stability and the capability of handling a wide range of different and unusual substrates. This is said to make the Lambda ideal for technical and specialized short run jobs such as intelligent labels, RFID inlay insertion, technical, multi layer, and scratch labels, security applications, hologram placement, wound dressings, hydrogel "and many more".

Novoflex makes a big impression

The biggest central impression flexo press ever built by Windmöller & Hölscher went on stream in May this year at the PetroplastVinora Group, based in Andwil, Switzerland. By installing the new Novoflex CL, the Swiss company aimed to meet the on-going trend towards 10 colour printing – and to increase production capacity to extend its domestic market share, as well as the export business for niche applications.

With the high performance Novoflex CL with sleeve technology a broad size range with repeat lengths can be infinitely varied from 370-1,250mm. This allows for printing of short repeats as for deep freeze products, as well as major repeats such as are used for printing the outer packaging of sanitary products, or even film for shrinkwrap applications. The machine's maximum printing width is 1,300mm.

The new press has 10 colour decks and can print up to 400m/min. It uses CFP adapters said to ensure superb print quality even when running very large repeat lengths. Five times lighter than steel while providing a 50 per cent higher rigidity, the adapters were developed by W&H and Epsilon Composite. They are hydraulically locked by Multishaft mandrel systems designed for air floated sleeve changes.

Several systems are available to facilitate changing of the large sleeves and adapters, including automatic extractors for the plate and anilox sleeves and the Port-A-Sleeve sleeve handling system. In addition, set-up times are minimized with PMR-PLUS, allowing press makeready and automatic job change-over with the machine running. Automatic impression setting is accomplished quickly with the Easy-Set system.

Evolution chosen

PCMC has sold a 26in Evolution in-line flexo press to the Catty Corp, in Huntley, Ill, manufacturer of flexible packaging for the food, confectionery and pharmaceutical markets.

"We were able to bring some of our regular print jobs to the new PCMC Technology Center," reveals Bruce A Scott, owner and president of Catty. "We were very happy with the performance of the Evolution using our work as a benchmark. Our operators gave us positive feedback on the equipment and we made the decision to purchase."

Bobst brings flexo in-line to boxes

Bobst has launched an in-line flexo solution for the corrugated box market. Premiered at the company's Lausanne, Switzerland, facility in early October, the new Masterflex-L is a specialist version for use in-line with a flatbed die cutter. It is targeted at box makers who want to combine the high graphics capabilities of the Masterflex range in-line with the cutting precision of one of Bobst's flat bed die cutters, to produce quality corrugated packaging quickly with reduced work in progress.

While retaining Masterflex features such as vacuum transport, modular print units with on-the-run change-over and independent drives, the new version offers a number of innovations.

A new high speed belt feed allows for the correction of sheet edge position, ensuring the first colour is correctly positioned, while the feeder eschews the two-roller system, ensuring that the incoming sheet does not suffer from board crush.

The inking system includes a new fully automatic wash-up process said to bring significant savings by recovering wash-up water and scavenging unused ink. In addition, a robotized system changes anilox rolls without operator intervention.

Bobst has modified the SPO160-APR die cutter to match the Masterflex-L's 7,000 sheets/hour capability, and added an uninterrupted feed system which increases the number of converted sheets by four to 10 per cent, depending on the number of sheets in each bundle.

Complemented by an SPO160-APR and Dynaload loader, Dynabreak separator and Dynapal palletizer, a Masterflex-L line could print and die cut nearly 20Mm2 of quality corrugated packaging/year, the company states.

Don't find faults – avoid them

Ross Howie Graphic Equipment and its partners offer converters a range of products to avoid faults developing in print production. "Usually, the spend on avoiding faults is lower than the spend on detecting and removing them," the company argues.

These products include Flexo Wash automatic anilox cleaning systems, and RH Inline anilox cleaning liquid, which offers corrugators the chance to clean even whilst production continues on other units of the same press. Roll audits can be controlled in-house with the new Gravis low cost software package. Benny Petersen's novel design for chamber doctor blade systems avoids foaming and leakage whilst the special seal is changed infrequently, cutting another cost, it is claimed.

Inelme automatic viscosity controls are said to ensure printing of consistent colour throughout the run, avoiding waste and re-runs. Using Ross Howie magnetic ink filters "can reduce anilox damage from steel doctor blade particles. A potentially huge saving from such a small cost," it is claimed. A new automatic system from Inelme allows cleaning of the inking system for a fast job turnround.

"The total cost of these quality improvements may well be less than that of a sophisticated defect system whilst the total potential cost of waste avoided is immeasurable," the company states.

Label 'first' in France

Société Bretonne d‚Etiquettes, in Pipriac, France, has ordered a second UV flexo press from MPS Systems. SBE was the first self adhesive label printer in Brittany to install the EF (Effective Flexo) model. After several months of production with its first, eight colour, MPS machine, the company has decided to continue with the EF technology, allowing it to print "virtually all substrates from 15-300 micron, with a better print quality than conventional UV flexo and extremely low waste levels".

The new press is a sleeved version, with 11 colours, a 330mm width, and facilities for in-line converting and finishing. It will enable SBE to reach new markets in food packaging on film, and industrial security applications.

General manager Jean Marc Pozza confirms: "We have been convinced by the technology of the EF since day one and our first press. The machine is easy to use and our operators were quick to learn on it. Construction quality is excellent and reliability is 100 per cent.

"Our operators working on shifts on the EF accepted the machine very quickly. Quality and reliability are outstanding: We have not had any problems with the machine at all since we installed it."

He concludes: "Facing new markets, in competition with the gravure process, we won thanks to our superior UV flexo quality - comparable to offset".

SBE recently won Best Screened Label in France in the Flexostar 2005 Awards, for the Panorient bread labels printed on its first MPS EF press.

Export sales bucking the trend

Cooper Printing Machinery has sold two Series II Model 1200 Flexopresses - one three colour and one four colour - to a large Russian manufacturer of fertilizer sacks. The machines have maximum sheet sizes of 1,250mm wide x 3,150mm long and maximum print areas of 1,100mm x 1,000mm. They are equipped with Graymills ink pumps, Cooper's own Rapmount shim system for quick change-over of stereos, and Mitsubishi PLC controls.

The company reports that despite the difficult times for all UK manufacturers, in the past six months it has sold a mixture of sheet-fed and reel to reel flexo presses to Australia, Portugal, Holland, Germany and France.

Mounting tapes in any width from stock

3M is now distributing its Cushion-Mount Plus flexo mounting tapes from stock in any width, according to customer requirements. A new custom conversion service will allow tapes to be cut to the customer's precise required width at the distributor, "dramatically reducing order lead times and improving responsiveness for special orders and unusual width requirements".

Cushion-Mount Plus features a liner system of continuous microchannels that reduces air entrapment to deliver consistent adhesion and a level surface for "superior print quality every time", while the special 3M adhesives are said to allow quick removal without leaving residue.

The tapes are available in a wide range of densities, each colour coded for ease of selection.

Over to Jordan

Gidue has supplied an F-Combat 370 press to Digital Labels, in Amman, Jordan. It will be used for printing on a wide range of substrates including pressure sensitive paper, supported and unsupported films, DPVC, BOPP and OPP for shrink sleeves, wraparound labels, barrier films and pouches.

Equipped with six print units, the press features the Gidue 'film kit', including 760mm water cooled chill drums adjacent to the six UV curing lamps for heat management. Also included for full flexible packaging production are servo motors located at the unwind, infeed and outfeed rollers, and a corona treater, anti static bars, web cleaner, web turn bar, combination laminator, and coldfoil stamping units with a foil-saver attachment.

Digital Labels was formed in October, 2004, and serves the food, beverage and automotive markets in Jordan and surrounding regions. It also specializes in thermal labels for tamper evident applications.

States owner and general manager Amer Sabha: "We evaluated various presses and found the F-Combat was the best suited to our production needs. The 'flower' print head design helps us to deliver many different short run jobs per day and we can print BOPP unsupported film at speeds up to 140m/min."

Absolute success

Absolute Engineering reports "significant progress" installing its woven carbon fibre chambers on post printers over the last 12 months. Great Northern Corrugated originally installed three units on its Ward machine before proceeding to upgrade a United Flexus.

Bob Smith, of GNC Racine, commented: ''We can now run many of the jobs we used to skip-feed on regular feed. The doctor blade change has gone down from 30 to five minutes and, because of the make-up of the chambers, clean-up is now an actual clean-up, the ink slides off with minimal effort. The crews absolutely love them. I would recommend these chambers with 100 per cent confidence."

Absolute also claims considerable success with Bobst/Martin upgrades, including NT1628, NT1636 and 924 print units.

Rick Young, Absolute's agent in North Central USA, comments: "We have several customers who originally upgraded just existing equipment, but have now started specifying them on their new equipment. This proves that Absolute chambers can give quantifiable benefits over traditional chambers"

Absolute have recently moved to a new factory in order to meet the increasing demand. The plant includes test facilities to complete development of a new range of upgrades specifically for corrugated.

Sleeves produced swiftly

A Stork Prints Agrios 413X direct laser engraver has enabled Limoges based Miller Graphics France to achieve consistent high quality and productivity gains for imaging Asahi Adless seamless elastomer flexo sleeves.

Sleeves engraved with the Agrios 413X are said to have been found to offer extremely high definition, with screen rulings up to 150 lpi and perfect tonal reproductions possible; consistent quality during long or repeated printing runs; excellent ink transfer and blemish-free reproductions of continuous decorations. The three-beam system enables fast engraving without damaging the positive areas. Each of the lasers has a relatively low power of 250W, yet maximum engraving speed is 18m/s.

Miller Graphics spokesman Claude Vriet comments: "The single process solution offered by the engraver has significantly boosted productivity. Typically, sleeves can be completed in just an hour. Job change-overs are swift, and there are minimal consumable costs involved."

Reliable printability testing of flexo inks

IGT says its new F1 Basic printability tester allows ink manufacturers, printers and suppliers of flexible materials to ensure consistent test results in a production and R&D environment.

The tester is equipped with a number of preset/pre-selected standard printing conditions that will cover the most common applications. This is said to make it user friendly, reliable and consistent. Easy to clean, the unit makes colour testing on the press unnecessary, the company adds.



Contacts

Absolute Engineering Tel: +44 (0) 1484 868 366 Bobst Group Tel: +44 (0) 1527 519710 Cooper Printing Tel: +44 (0) 1582 764431 Edale Tel: +44 (0) 1794 524422 Gidue Tel: +39 02 966 8181 IGT Testing Systems Tel: +31 20 409 9300 MPS Systems Tel: +31 316 29 12 60 PCMC Tel: +1 920 494 5601 Ross Howie Graphic Equipment Tel: +44 (0) 1270213524 3M Tel: +44 (0) 870 6080050 Stork Prints Tel: +31 (0) 485 599296 Windmöller & Hölscher Tel: +49 5481 14 2791




External weblinks
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Absolute Engineering
Bobst Group
Cooper Printing
Edale
Gidue
IGT Testing Systems
3M
MPS Systems
PCMC
Ross Howie Graphic Equipment
Stork Prints
Windmöller & Hölscher

W&H's largest CI press W&H's largest CI press
Masterflex-L from Bobst Masterflex-L from Bobst
Platform principle - Edale's Lambda Platform principle - Edale's Lambda
Cushion-Mount Plus now stocked in all widths Cushion-Mount Plus now stocked in all widths
Award winning label printed by SBE on MPS press Award winning label printed by SBE on MPS press


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