Showtime Italian style

Where
FieraMilano-Rho, Milan
Hall 3 (Grafitalia in Hall 1)

When
7-11 May 2013
Opening hours: 10.00am - 6.00pm

Among the exhibitors, Andantex (stand E24) is to introduce the brand new DGT 300+ and X-Block tension controllers from Merobel. Featuring regulator, power supply, sensor voltage amplification and fieldbus communication protocol, these "easy to use" universal controllers are said to be capable of handling any type of web tension control in open loop or closed loop.

Also from Merobel will be the latest generation of EMP brakes - "more accurate, more durable and efficient than ever". They offer a torque range of 2-1,000Nm and are said to be capable of dealing with the demands of any converting application.

Flexo press and automatic bagmaking machine manufacturer Bfm will be present on stand B20. Show visitors can also visit the company's factory in Solbiate Olona (15km from the fair), to view one of its 1,200mm width Marte 8-colour gearless flexo presses, and a similar size 6-colour Saturno with a geared configuration.

The brand new Telia 10 FSC flexo press to be displayed by Bielloni Converting (stand F10) is capable of making a complete 10-colour job change in under 5min with less than 20m of waste material. This machine's main innovation is the patented FSC anilox and plate sleeve mandrel support system. The FSC differs from conventional manual opening systems that require a tip-over of the support for the sleeve extraction: it allows the supports to open without overturning. The operator locks the system, then simply pulls a lever to unlock the supports and let them slide sideways.

According to Bielloni, this allows very fast job change with minimal operator effort while maintaining a rigid system that avoids vibration problems at high speed.

The latest Bobst innovations in sheet-fed equipment designed to increase productivity in customers' diecutting, folding and gluing, and hot foil stamping processes will be presented on stand F19/G18. They include the Expertcut 106 PER diecutter equipped with the latest productivity improving devices, and the Mastercut 145 PER for larger formats. Developments for in-line processing include systems such as the Accucheck, the Accubraille GT and the Gyrobox modules for folder gluers.

Bobst will also showcase the latest configurations of Rotomec gravure presses, the new F&K 20SIX flexo platform, and the AlOx process "breakthrough development" for coating a wide range of plastics films.

New solutions for quality assurance in packaging and printing will make their debut in Italy in the BST Italia exhibit on stand K03/L04.

QCenter, including QCenter.Spectral inline spectral measurement, is a modular system that integrates functions such as web inspection and 100% inspection on a single platform. Its intuitive touchscreen interface allows the operator to control actions such as colour measurement, zooming, selection of image details and monitoring of the entire web width. It also provides one-to-one display of the complete repeat in high resolution HDTV quality.

The QCenter.Spectral inline spectral measurement system fulfils the growing need to obtain reliable inline and offline data on specified colours over the entire print production. BST's close development partnership with X-Rite has made inline measurement and measurement with stationary hand-held units comparable for the first time.

Mario Cotta (stand G04) will present EOS, "the only automatic slitting system without compressed air supply", together with a new electronic knifeholder.

Requiring no pneumatic installation and compressed air supply, the electronic knifeholder is able to perform all functions from a remote HMI. Recipe setting and group displacing, the penetration value, the angle value, and the side force of each group are automatically adjusted by means of a closed loop system. A removable cartridge allows easy maintenance. All parameters can be remotely set from a soft touchpanel on the side of the machine, increasing operator safety.

In collaboration with system manufacturers, industrial blade specialist Delsar Lame (stand K09/L10) has developed a new pneumatic hot cutting system. The result of many months of study and research on high temperature resistant materials, from steel type to knife profile and many other factors, it is claimed to be a "perfectly calibrated and operating product".

Euromac is presenting the new model TB-3p slitter rewinder on stand M29/N30. The TB-3p is a fully equipped duplex machine with a compact bridge path and integrated unwinder for rolls up to a maximum diameter of 1,000mm. This allows a very compact size and short web path while maintaining excellent ergonomics and accessibility to the knives, the company says.

The TB-3p is suitable for mono-films and sensitive films, as well as normal flexible packaging materials that need excellent tension control of the web to prevent creases on the material. The machine is also particularly suitable for slitting aluminium foil and laminations as it has a specially designed web path on the blade unit. Loadcells ensure perfect tension control in rewinding.

Since its launch last year, Euromac has sold several of these machines to converters who use aluminium as a base. Recently, tests were also made for special material for food and pharmaceutical packaging containing aluminium, polyethylene, polyester and HS sealing basis with excellent results.

Grafikontrol's (stand C19/D12) latest products developed for the packaging printing industry are mainly dedicated to the in-line inspection of printed or base substrates (statistical and 100%) and in-line colour measurement through a spectrophotometer sensor.
Grafikscan 3000 is a system for the 100% inspection of printed web, "guaranteeing total control during the printing process" by automatically detecting and cataloging all defects in order to provide a real-time analysis of production.

A downstream waste data management option allows removal of any faults from the roll during the slitting process.
An evolved version of Grafikscan 3000 for metal sheet-fed offset, compares the live printing with the prepress file. Grafikscan 2200 is a web viewer with statistical inspection software, which ensures print quality control and minimises waste, using dedicated software.

Exhibiting on stand F23/G22, IMS Deltamac will show a twin-shafted centre/surface driven slitter. The model RU1 is said to be a very sturdy, compact and efficient machine, able to slit "virtually any type of material, even slippery or difficult ones, ensuring the excellent quality of the result".

The company will also demonstrate - via multimedia - its entire range of slitters, with special focus on integrated solutions with handling and palletising systems for the finished rolls, customised for the needs of each user. Also featured will be the Rotamac range of machines for converting aluminium foil, film and paper master rolls into consumer-sized rolls for food wrapping.

A new flexo plate mounting tape for special print requirements will be featured by Lohmann on stand H29/K30.

Designed for especially demanding print jobs, the DuploFlex 5 maxx plate mounting tape has new adhesive properties said to reduce edge lifting. It is also characterised by its ease of handling, easy removal and a perfect print result. Customers can choose from four different foam hardnesses, to ensure fine runs as well as dense ink coverage. As there is a flexible PE film on both sides of the tape, the forces acting on the foam are said to be perfectly cushioned to deliver the ideal print result.

Lohmann has also extended the DuploFlex CB range for the direct printing of corrugated board. The compressible base for high-end postprint now has a smooth liner of white silicone paper, said to provide increased adhesive strength.

Omet is celebrating its 50th Anniversary (stand H21/K22) as a leading supplier to the narrow and mid-web printing and tissue converting industries with more than 1,000 machines installed worldwide and a turnover of €52 million in 2012. While the stand at Converflex offers "a trip into Omet history and technological progress", visitors to the company premises in Lecco during the show will have the chance to witness demos of the company's latest machines.

These will be a Varyflex V2 press, a XFlex X6 equipped with the newly launched offset groups with sleeves, and a XFlex X4 "combining tradition - the printing cylinder - to the most advanced electronics". The machines for tissue converting were recently re-named as the TV503 line, a single-lane modular machine for napkin production, and the TV840 - double-lane system for high volume production of printed napkins.

The Omet Open House is scheduled for Tuesday to Friday, 7-10 May, from 10am to 5pm. A free shuttle service will be available from Milan to Lecco and back.

The Simec Group's exhibit (stand A19) will take the theme: "Innovative Product and Solutions for the corrugated board industry". The anilox specialist promises "excellent support to customers who wish to purchase a new flexo press, or when a significant improvement in the quality of printed jobs with old or new plate technologies is required".

Anilox inventory is not an easy job and cannot be standardised, says Simec. Each customer has a specific approach to jobs and the company says it has the right resources to support them with the other components of the process, such as inks, inking systems (doctor rolls and combined systems); drying systems, and printing presses (old and new).

During Converflex, Uteco (stand D19-E12) will hold an Open House event at its headquarters in Verona. Brand new innovations will be presented for the first time in conjunction with DuPont.

Live demonstrations will feature a full optional Onyx 108 10-colour flexo press with a printing width of 1,300mm, employing DuPont's Cyrel DSP - Engineered Surface Digital Plate - for applications requiring superior solid ink density, significant reduction in graininess and long tonal range across a broad range of packaging segments.

Also, in Uteco's Converdrome Technology Centre, the company will reveal innovations such as a laser slitter device and the Shiny embossing machine. A daily shuttle bus service will take Converflex visitors to the Uteco Open House.

www.converflex.biz
www.andantex.it
www.bfm.it
www.bielloni.it
www.bobst.com
www.bst-international.com
www.mariocotta.com
www.merobel.com
www.delsarlame.com
www.euromacslitters.com
www.uteco.com
www.grafikontrol.it
www.imsdeltamatic.com
www.lohmann-tapes.com
www.simecgroup.com