A new in-line UV offset press at Florence based label converter Litografia Fiorentina is the precursor of the new Xpannd press currently under joint development by Gidue and Nuova Castagnoli. The installation uses the combined expertise of both companies.
The press includes six UV offset units from Nuova Castagnoli with unwind/rewinds and flexo varnishing. It is equipped with an intelligent register PC interface to control job storage, remote tension control and press adjustments such as fully automated inking and dampening.
Gidue managing director Federico d’Annunzio comments: “The installation at Litografia Fiorentina uses UV offset units from Nuova Castagnoli adapted with Gidue technology to meet the requirements of the pressure sensitive label market. We believe the offset technology developed with Nuova Castagnoli will force the label producing industry to change its thinking radically regarding this printing method’s ability to meet their needs when combined with other print technologies available from Gidue.
“By combining our existing flexo, screen and gravure technology with new UV offset science we come another step towards standardization in the label industry while at the same time reducing the production and operating costs of the label manufacturing process.”
Litografia Fiorentina owner Romano Romoli adds: “Traditionally, short runs have been a problem for rotary offset, due to high waste levels and extended makeready times. We have found with the offset press technology that set-up times and makeready waste are generally the same as for compact letterpress machines. After completing our learning process, we are seeing only 10-15m of waste substrate during makeready. Also, offset offers an advantage when printing the textured labels we supply.”
Print results are said to have been equivalent to those obtained on Litografia Fiorentina’s sheet-fed offset presses at a reduced cost. A marked improvement is the absence of ghosting commonly seen with offset, which Nuova Castagnoli says is due to the 16 rollers used in the ink train.
A key factor in reducing makeready waste for the offset press is the low idling speed used. Explains Federico d’Annunzio, “This is achieved by controlling the water fountain roller with an independent servomotor. During makeready we increase the speed of the press for a short time until we are printing high quality labels at 12m/min. We adjust the speed of the water flow as we ramp-up the press speed. Once we have found the correct operating curve for the colour units on each substrate process we can save this ink/water balance setting into the press control computer.”
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