Wider possibilities

Italian manufacturer Gidue has expanded the options for label converters available on its Xpannd combined offset/flexo press by introducing a 450 mm web width model suitable for printing both self-adhesives and shrinkable sleeves.

“Despite the present recession, we decided to launch a series of new R&D projects,” states Gidue president Federico d’Annunzio. “The label industry is suffering a general crisis due to production over-capacity and lack of differentiation within label converters. The new Xpannd 450, with its ‘uncommon’ width and its total flexibility, can be the answer for label printers who seek better profit performances and not simply a turnover increase.”

Aimed at companies “who want to increase profitability during the market slowdown”, the new press is claimed to offer high print quality, lower operating costs and full versatility on the choice of substrates, from rough papers to shrinkable films. Gidue also promises “total flexibility” on the range of technologies available - flexo, silkscreen, hot stamping and gravure - lower offset plate costs for short run printing, and full digital workflow integration.

The company’s Hi-Offset system meets the German BVDM guidelines for dot gain, colour fading, slur and doubling, ghosting and streaking. Accurate web tension and temperature controls, plus the Universal Platform concept, allowing interchange of different processes, are said to make the printing of offset/flexo and multi-process on several filmic substrates “a realistic opportunity to enter new markets”.

The digital automation of the Xpannd 450, in combination with the offset and multi-process capabilities, helps reduce waste and set-up times, and “represents a choice for owners of digital, intermittent offset, sheet-fed offset presses and for label converters whose need is to print short runs cost effectively”.

According to the Gidue, “the high-end offset/flexo combination quality is an alternative for UV flexo label printers who look for product and market differentiation or want to serve their existing customers offering new and higher standards”.

Due to the wider size of the press, special attention was given to safety and to the ease of use through the multi-process Organizer system. Available on all Gidue presses, this patent pending system allows handling and storage of the offset cassettes and multi-process heads, and is positioned in front of the machine for its entire length, providing a ‘lean’ working environment said to make format and process changes simple, fast – and safe.

The first Xpannd 450 - a 4-colour offset/6-colour flexo configuration has been installed at IBE, Industry Business European, of Merate, Italy.

In another development aimed at label converters, Gidue is now marketing its REAL hot stamping unit. The selling points of this system are summed up in its name: REAL for Robustness, Ease of use, Automated controls and ‘Lean’ guiding principles.

The robust construction (steel frames 25 mm thick and solid parts that can resist pressures up to 100 N/mm) allows an average speed of 80 m/min and printing with much higher pressure to obtain top print quality on the most difficult substrates, it is claimed.

Front opening and rapid temperature drop-down are said to ensure a fast and simple sleeve change-over, reducing set-up times dramatically. The hot stamping unit is mounted on guides for ease of extraction in case of format replacement or cleaning. The result is improved operator safety, reduced set-up time and low wastage, states Gidue.

The REAL is also provided with automatic temperature and pressure controls, and the latest multi-camera Intelligent Register for fast longitudinal and transversal register control. For repeat orders, there is automatic recall of recipes, job data storage and register settings memory; and all the controls can be managed through a touchscreen panel positioned on the main frame, or from the machine general control pulpit.

Foil tension is controlled electronically through a loadcell, whilst a pneumatically controlled anti-wrinkle device is promised to ensure the smoothest possible operation.

As with the Xpannd 450, the dedicated Organizer section, gives the operator easy access to all the hot stamping tooling and auxiliary devices.