Mid-size the target

Billed as “the ultimate in efficiency and flexibility for folding carton conversion”, the ICS 670 is the first collaboration between the Gallus and BHS team under the new Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen (GSD) banner. The company says it incorporates the key elements that will attract carton converters “who are seeking new ways to protect their profit margins while remaining competitive for their customers”.

The principle of the new machine, which was launched at drupa 2008, is that it converts a blank web of board to a finished folding carton in the space of a 30 m footprint at speeds up to 350 m/min, with minimum handling and without the need to stack down pallets of sheets.

GSD’s Uli Kretzschmar explains: “We have deliberately targeted the ICS 670 at mid-size cartons in medium to long run lengths with a high degree of added value. Independent sources are predicting this sector of the market will grow substantially over the next five years.”

Typical target markets for the new press are beauty care and cosmetics, personal and healthcare, confectionery, tobacco, and other non-food areas such as blister cards and clear plastics boxes. The common thread running through all of them is small format size coupled with high added value content.

He continues: “There are four key features that give the Gallus a clear lead in this market sector: its platform design; its dedicated in-line flat bed die cutter; its hotfoil embossing facility; and its capacity to change jobs ‘on the fly’.”

Configurations for the ICS 670 can include HiDef flexo, gravure, and screen printing, coldfoiling, hotfoil stamping and embossing, as well as laminating. The bonus with the FCL 670 flat bed die cutting unit is that it can be used

in-line or off-line “with equal ease and accuracy”; and as well as offering the prospect of cheaper tooling than its rotary counterpart, it is familiar technology to converters.

Hotfoil embossing brings the third dimension into graphic design, which because of its zero tolerance register, adds an additional element to package printing and, significantly, to high value product differentiation. Rotary hotfoil embossing on the Gallus is contained within one unit and can feed up to six foils across the web. It is also fitted with a foil saving device.

With increasing demand for graphics or text variations within the production run, the ‘flying imprint’ facility on the ICS 670 is a boon.

“It allows us to accommodate these language or graphics variations on the job at full press speed, which is perfect for regional or test marketing,” explains Uli Kretzschmar. “The additional print unit is set up while disengaged and then accelerated to running speed when required. By allowing the machine to continue at a constant speed there is no drop in quality and no start-up waste.“

The new machine also has a servodrive and high degree of automation said to offer the optimum level of machine control, pre-setting functions and job recall. Also promised are good ergonomics making it comfortable for the operator to use, combined with short makeready times and low waste levels.

The infeed section is servo driven to ensure constant web tension and can be supplemented by automatic roll handling and splice units, as well as a corona treater for pre-laminated board or plastics substrates. The printing section, platform in configuration, offers a slide-in - slide-out facility for HiDef flexo, gravure and screen heads, as well as laminating, cold foiling, hot foil stamping and hologram insetting.

The Gallus FCL 670 (Flat-bed Cut Line) is a heavy duty unit that sheets the printed web before creasing, embossing and die cutting. After stripping, the die-cut carton blanks are separated (de-nested) and then delivered on a shingle conveyor or optional stacking unit. Capable of 350 strokes/min, the FCL will allow the in-line machine system to run at 220 m/min.

Maximum printing and processing web width, as its name implies, is 670 mm on a 690 mm web. Standard rolls can be up to 1,800 mm diameter, with an option of 2,100 mm. Minimum and maximum repeats are 330 and 820 mm, respectively, while repeat length is infinitely variable thanks to the servodrive. Board capability is from 180-600 g/m², with a maximum thickness of 750 micron. Plastics substrates such as PET and OPP for clear box applications, as well as paper down to 60 g/m² can also be processed.