Print on parade: part 2

To illustrate the effectiveness of printing small order quantities for cartons, AB Graphic International has joined forces with cutting and creasing equipment manufacturer Kama in Hall 2 (stands B36 and B32). The centre piece of the stand will be the Digicon folding carton solution with flat bed diecutting and creasing. This system will include a large diameter unwind with an in-line flexo unit for applying both UV and water-based varnishes. It will be demonstrated running cartons up to a maximum web width of 340mm at production speeds of up to 11,000 die impressions/hour. The unit will be displayed running digitally printed cartons, printed on an HP digital press. (For more on Kama’s exhibits see below).

Atlas Converting Equipment (UK) (Hall 12, stand D67) will present the new CW Series technology platform for its primary and secondary slitter rewinders for film and flexible materials. The CW platform introduces more compact film slitting solutions in web widths from 2.5-10.4m and is claimed to offer higher efficiency, increased productivity and reliability, higher quality rewind reels, reduced noise levels and more effective, operator-friendly control systems.

This latest Atlas technology also features wireless rewind arm positioning, automatic knife positioning, direct drive web path rollers and running speeds of up to 1,500m/min with more precise web tension control. Electrical cabinets are now fully integrated into the machine to save space, with ‘under floor’ service trenches also no longer required.

Atlas will also demonstrate the next generation Titan SR9 slitters, which feature three separate machine modules of unwind, slitter and rewind sections. This is designed so that a converter need only change the rewind section of the slitter from a Dual Shaft to a Single Turret or Dual Turret configuration, to meet changing production requirements, without the need to change the existing unwind and slitting modules. A new Linear Tracking Slitter section ensures the shortest constant web length between the knives and the rewind shafts for improved web control, giving the highest possible side wall quality of rewind reels and reducing the possibility of waste.

The Titan SR9 promises exceptional performance and productivity at speeds up to 1,000m/min, and many features for achieving reductions in the cost of energy and of waste materials.

Autobox Machinery (Hall 10, stand E65). will be showing its latest machinery developments for corrugated box plants looking for flexible machines for short to medium runs or point of display, and general printers looking to make their boxes in-house. On display will be a complete box making and printing system, the HiPak-HiFlex-HiCut, featuring Autobox’s Quick Set technology that enables the machines to auto set for different box sizes or styles in less than one minute.

The recently launched HiFlex range of single and 2-colour flexo printers, servo-driven for quick setup and accurate print registration, are said to provide a cost-effective solution for adding print to boxes.

Blumer (Hall 06, stand A61) will be showing its latest technology for the finishing of square cut labels and other products, as well as offering a wide range of products from simple start-up solutions to fully automated systems.

In a joint exhibit, Bograma and Sigma Engineering (Hall 6, Stand A24), will be displaying the production of folding boxes, folders and gift card holders, plus micro perforation, kiss cutting of stamps and punching of a folding product with special mini-format equipment and de-bossing. Of particular interest to digital printers will be a demonstration showing production direct from a roll.

The main part of the Cerutti exhibit (Hall 16, stand B03-1/2) will present the group’s whole platform of solutions for packaging printing and converting. For the first time at Drupa, all the current press models will be exhibited, including the recently launched 1060 gravure unit for the high-end packaging and specialties markets. A brand new press - the R1081 - will be exhibited as a complete line composed of two printing units, unwinder and rewinder.

Sister company Flexotecnica will be showcasing a new generation of gearless ‘X’ presses, with innovations aimed at assuring added productivity with even the shortest of print runs, excellent print quality and eco-sustainability of the converting process. Iberica will present new non-stop feeder and register control systems.

The next generation N600i 4-colour digital inkjet label press with an enhanced package of upgraded i-Tech intelligent Technology smart features to maximise production efficiencies will be demonstrated by Domino Printing Sciences (Hall 13, stand D89). The N600i is claimed to combine print speed approaching that of flexo with the flexibility of digital printing to deliver improved profitability and a reduction in production costs. It offers a native 600dpi print resolution as well as up to four greyscale levels, and utilises one of the smallest drop sizes (6pl) to deliver high quality output onto a range of coated paper and plastics labelstocks. Top operating speed is 75m/min.

A complete Cyrel Fast Round workflow on the DuPont Packaging Graphics stand (C24, Hall 8b) will demonstrate “highest quality precision” flexo printing for sleeve processing. The workflow will be supplemented by a Cyrel Microflex system that allows the mounting of multiple sleeves to register on one single print adapter, increasing the flexibility of the high productivity sleeve workflow.

New compressible adapters optimized for the Cyrel Round Workflow by Inometa will be introduced, which feature a rubber stop and bayonet locking system for superior handling and long life, available in all standard sizes for high performance, high speed presses. Also new will be the Cyrel Fast 3000 TD system, said to ensure outstanding quality and uniformity in a larger 50 inch x 80 inch format, eliminating size constraints for wide web printers wishing to benefit from solvent-free processing of plates; and The Cyrel DigiFlow digital workflow enhancement, designed to expand the capabilities of digital Cyrel and digital Cyrel Fast while enabling “great flexibility to create the desired dot shape plate by plate”.

Edale (Hall 15, stand A63) will be exhibiting with new machine footage, literature and various samples from its current range of narrow web flexo printing and converting machines, with a strong focus on the packaging and folding carton market.

For perfect results in gravure printing, Eltex (Hall 15, stand B26) is to present its new ESA Easycharge Exi printing assist system. The electrostatic system works without charging bars or insulated bearings and is suitable both for sleeves and standard impression rollers. With its extremely low power demand of less than one 1W/m of web width, the system also ensures the lowest possible charges when printing flexible materials.

Also approved for the explosion hazard group IIB in package gravure printing, the ESA Easycharge Exi is said to guarantee perfect ink transfer with voltages up to 1,560V and excellent printing results with unlimited impression roller widths

Visitors to the Esko stand (Hall 8b, stand A23) will experience a colour management workflow that, for the first time, “encompasses the entire packaging supply chain and ensures first-time-every-time colour integrity”. “PantoneLive delivers an end-to-end solution that, for the first time, addresses the needs and requirements of every single discipline within the packaging supply chain,” states Geert De Proost, Esko’s director software engines. “The brand manager will see an accurate representation of on-press colour early in the design process, while converters can be assured of first-time-right colour proofing and easy-to-match colour on press.”

Dr Sonia Megert, X-Rite/Pantone’s vice president of the Pantone digital business unit adds: ”PantoneLive delivers colour DNA based on real ink, on real substrates with real printing processes for predictable, repeatable results. “We are very pleased to have Esko, the leading packaging workflow software provider, endorse the value of PantoneLive. Esko plays a key, strategic role in the digital ecosystem that surrounds PantoneLive.”

Worldwide distributor for the Camis range of “total workflow” flexo plate mounting systems Eurograv (Hall 10, stand D42) will exhibit two updated models. For mid-web printers, the Irisleeve 1400 sleeve change plate mounting machine now features a new single ‘split screen’ monitor for exact positioning and alignment of the plate, a redesigned plate mounting table, and an improved plate mounting roller. For narrow web label printers, the updated Irismall 600 features a wide flat screen monitor to allow both sides of the plate to be aligned “perfectly”.

Developer of digital imaging solutions FFEI (Hall 5, stand C18) will showcase a new, end-to-end, digital labels system which includes a Caslon digital inkjet press incorporating a new digital spot colour unit printing white ink, and the latest RealPro Workflow software. This enables label converters and digital print houses to partner with one technology supplier where all components are designed to work together. Users can now “cost-effectively and with greatly reduced business risk and disruption, move into the profitable market of small-to-medium run labels with confidence”.

The Caslon press, jointly developed by FFEI and Nilpeter, can be installed as part of a traditional narrow web label press or utilised as a standalone digital inkjet system, converting high quality labels up to 420mm web widths at 25-50m, dependent on resolution.

Visitors to the Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen exhibit (Hall 2, stand 2A45) will learn about the “enormous productivity potential” in producing folding cartons in an inline process. Live demos of the company’s ICS 670 system will focus on “a host of technological innovations” and reveal the key advantages of inline production with respect to flexibility, productivity and quality.

One of the highlights will be a new gravure printing unit which can be integrated at any point in the machine system, adding a second main printing process to the ICS 670's functionality by enabling printers to use water and solvent-based inks. An “ingenious” web lead with various dryer options shortens the web run considerably and helps reduce waste.

The gravure unit also includes a flying imprint option that enables changeover of the gravure cylinder while the web tension is automatically regulated and kept constant, without the web having to be separated.

A new blank ejection option for the Gallus FCL flatbed diecutter is also being rolled out at Drupa 2012. A 100% inspection system detects faulty blanks, which can then be ejected on a lane-by-lane basis with no restriction on blank length. Up to eight lanes of blanks can be monitored individually. The system is claimed to guarantee 100% quality control in the inline production of folding carton blanks – from the reel to the finished blank.

The Sunday Vpak 3000 and Sunday Vpak 500 presses will be demonstrated in a dedicated Packaging Theatre by Goss International (Hall 17, stand A59-C59) - a “world first” showing of printing units currently running in the company’s facility in Durham, USA. Based on the “groundbreaking” Sunday gapless press concept, the Vpak presses are claimed to make web offset “an increasingly attractive alternative” for folding carton, flexible packaging, preprint and label printing. The two models feature quick-change blankets and printing cylinder sleeves which are said to make infinitely variable repeat lengths easy and affordable.

The Sunday Vpak 3000 is available in web widths up to 1,905mm, offering the print stability of the gapless technology to address the growing trend towards wider web packaging printing for greater economy and flexibility of production. The Vpak 500 model is available in web widths of up to 1,041mm.

A show highlight from GSE Dispensing (Hall 3, stand F50) will be the re-launch of the Coloursat Slim, the “affordable” ink dispenser for the paper, board and flexible packaging converter. The new version offers greater modularity, improved accuracy and reduced air consumption, and is said to be easy to clean. It is suitable for either solvent or water-based inks, at “competitive” dispensing speeds.

In addition, GSE has developed a software interface that integrates seamlessly with the printer’s IT system, providing total control of ink budgets, improving stock forecasting and waste reduction. The Management Information Software (MIS) interface provides real-time information such as ink availability, ink recipes and an immediate overview of ink costs per order, enabling a more responsive print value chain.

HP Indigo will demonstrate new digital presses aimed at extending the technology’s application to the larger format sizes common in packaging production. The new 762mm wide, web-fed HP Indigo 20000 digital press and the 750mm, sheet-fed HP Indigo 30000 use the same printing technology currently employed for label and packaging production on the company’s WS6000 series machines.

Scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013, the HP Indigo 20000 is a roll-to-roll digital press designed primarily for flexible packaging. Its 762mm media width and 1,100mm repeat length will accommodate most flexible packaging format sizes, the company states. With up to 7-colour printing, including white ink, and printing quality claimed to match gravure, the press runs at 27 linear m/min in 5-colour mode (full process colour plus white) and at 45 linear m/min in ‘Enhanced Productivity Mode’. An inline priming unit helps to ensure compatibility with most standard flexible packaging substrates from 10-250 micron thick.

The sheet-fed HP Indigo 30000 digital press offers a 750 x 530mm format size compatible with existing offset presses used for mainstream folding carton applications. Scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013, it offers up to 7-colour printing on carton stocks up to 600 micron, and can run up to 4,600 sheets/hour in Enhanced Productivity Mode, 3,450 sheets/hour in regular 4-colour process printing.

On its stand, Kama (Hall 2, stand B32) will launch “the world’s first” 760 x 600mm format flatbed diecutter with a hotfoil stamping system. The new ProCut 76 has been designed to provide increased performance and cutting force, and offers a universal chase for all sizes of dies. Its wide range of applications includes cutting, creasing, perforating and kiss cutting, as well as blind embossing, Braille stamping, hotfoil stamping, relief and hologram stamping. Changingover from hot foil stamping to diecutting takes less than 10min, it is claimed.

Also new from Kama is the AutoRegister for the ProCut 53, said to be capable of picking up the slightest of register differences and quickly adjusting every single sheet to a printing mark.

K2 International (Hall 11, stand A74) will exhibit a full specification, 6-colour Fast Action flexo press. It will be equipped with full UV curing at each printing station and servodrives to enable both label and film packaging substrates to be processed, and will incorporate a digital printhead for variable data and barcodes. The FA Fast Action press is available for both narrow and wider web labels, and packaging applications up to 800mm. It can be supplied with up to 12 printing units for processing UV or water-based inks. Options include rotary coldfoil stamping, UV laminating, sheeting, fan folding and video web inspection and remote diagnostics.

Italian companies Laem System and Eutro Log will share a 210m² stand (E70 in Hall 12) to present visitors with “the factory of the future” - an example of the final stage of a packaging production facility. The key to the project is increasing productivity by means of a highly automated system. A 5-storey automated warehouse, with an integrated high performance turret slitter rewinder (Laem’s revised model RB4-1400) will output finished reels onto a hi-tech robot system able to perform a quality check, label and wrap each reel, palleting them and stocking them. Laem’s brand new TR4 slitter will be displayed via a giant plasma screen, with demonstrations taking place twice a day.

Throughout the show, MarquipWardUnited (Hall 10, stand D40) will demonstrate the TSKM sheeter for in-house sheeting of paper and board. The “multi-capable” TSKM offers “pioneering” D2 splicer technology and advanced operator controls.

Web spreader rolls will be displayed by Mink-Bürsten (Hall 12, stand D50) as a reliable and competitive alternative to traditional banana or grooved rubber rollers for smoothing webs. The brush inserts around the circumference of the rollers have bundles of bristles angled outwards from the centre. When the web makes contact with the bristles, the web tension forces a slight distortion of these bundles outwards. In this way a gentle spreading effect is achieved.

The contact area is minimal, avoiding marking and enabling applications where coated webs are involved,the company states. Contact angles ranging from 2-180 degrees are possible, giving an equal spreading effect right up to the edge, unlike with traditional rubber or banana rollers. Film thicknesses from 8 micron and web widths of 6m and beyond can be handled.

For companies that are looking for ways to address the fast growing market for short run, high quality colour printing, Presstek’s (Hall 4, stand B03) new 5-colour 75DI digital offset press with in-line aqueous coater is said to be ideal. It is promoted as a complementary technology to both conventional offset and digital toner-based printing, handling the longer runs that are too expensive to produce with toner, but are too short to print cost effectively by conventional offset.

“We are very excited to reveal the press and its new capabilities at Drupa 2012 and believe it has a lot to offer the marketplace,” comments Stanley E Freimuth, Presstek’s chairman, president and CEO. “It has exceptional capabilities for the packaging market, and we are going to put a lot of emphasis on what it can do in that arena.”

Hosting its own stand of almost 860m² for the first time, Polar-Mohr’s (Hall 2, stand A01) main highlight will be the new generation ‘N’ high speed cutter with its three different models for label production. Various systems, as well as a stand-alone machine will be displayed by the company.

Shrink sleeve and screen inks will make their debut on the Pulse Roll Label Products stand (Hall 3, stand A69). The SLM Flexwrap Series of UV inks and coatings offers a range of EuPIA-compliant formulations for shrink film and indirect food packaging applications. High colour strength and coverage for excellent print reproduction and mileage without the need for primers or protective varnishes are claimed. The SG series offers similar characteristics for non-food packaging. Both ranges are said to offer excellent adhesion and shrink characteristics of more than 70%. SF010 is a UV curable, silicone-free opaque white ink for rotary screen printing, formulated to permit use as a first-down white for subsequent overprinting by flexo, letterpress and litho, as well as screen inks or varnishes. EL088 is a new UV flexo, semi-gloss release varnish for peel and read applications; and the RLM series are new metallic gold and silver inks and foil effect brights for flexo, screen or letterpress.

Significant new QuadTech (Hall 17, stand A10) introductions at drupa include, for packaging printers, the ability to measure colour information in-line on paper, film, or foil at full press speeds, together with a high resolution view of dot structure. For the flexo and gravure package printer, QuadTech offers fast in-line inspection and spectral colour measurement solutions for film, foil, paper, and various laminates, enabling quality consistency and reduced waste.

Schobertechnologies (Hall 11, stand C06) is presenting high speed robot technology for stacking and counting long and very challenging/complex IML (In-Mould-Label) products inline with its RSM rotary cutting machine. Special features of the new high speed delivery robot are said to be extreme acceleration, velocity and precision in stacking very long IML products at continuous web speeds of up to 50m/min.

Screen (Hall 9, stand A40) is expanding its range of CTP (computer-to-plate) devices for the flexo packaging industry. Its PlateRite FX range of thermal platesetters will image all leading solvent and water-wash photopolymer plates for flexo and letterpress applications to the highest 4,800dpi quality levels. The open-platform PlateRite FX can be integrated with any flexo front-end system, in addition to Screen’s Equios workflow and FlexoDot software, and can be used for imaging in flexible packaging, label, carton and corrugated packaging applications.

Supplier of Management Information Systems to the print industry Shuttleworth (Hall 9, stand E03) will demonstrate its new user interface. This is based on “an Outlook style, look and feel”said to make the software easier and intuitive to use while providing a customisable view for each user. Drupa will also see the launch of Shuttleworth Business Intelligence, a set of tools including dashboards and mobile apps designed to “maximise opportunities with customers and prospects alike”.

Soma Engineering (Hall 17, stand A39) will launch the Premia flexo press and two new slitter rewinders. The Premia is the latest addition to the SomaFlex range of flexo presses and offers “a cost-effective combination of high technology and engineering for medium and long runs that is normally only found on more expensive machines”. A 1,270mm width version with 915mm print repeat and speeds up to 500m/min will be exhibited with eight printing units, shaftless unwind and rewind, automatic wash-up and viscosity control systems, a 3-chip digital camera for 100% web inspection and a sleeve ejecting device.

Soma’s new Venus III slitter rewinder is designed to convert flexible packaging materials in web widths from 1,100mm to 1,850mm and has an overhead web path to enhance cleanroom conditions and permit entry into the food and pharmaceutical packaging markets. The new Pluto llI slitter with its “beefed-up” side frames permits accurate slitting at speeds up to 600m/min in widths from 1,100-1,600mm.

New from Tectonic International (Hall 16, stand B66) will be the K3WiFi a “powerful, yet economically priced” print inspection system suitable for use on any web press. Its digital camera is claimed to provide outstanding image replication with “pin sharp” contrasts and fine details. The K3WiFi features video streaming, iPad connectivity for improved quality control via multi-location, live print inspection and a range of digital cameras to suit each inspection requirement.

Theurer.com (Hall 9, stand E77) will be presenting several innovations relating to its established C3 business management software. In addition to the new C3.2012 version, a Planning Wizard for collect runs and a new machine interface with electronic counters, the company will also present the user-friendly C3 web portal and its QR code smartphone app.

An in-line, pressure controlled varnishing concept for high speed, sheet-fed and web offset presses will be a highlight of Tresu’s stand (A62 in Hall 10). Based on the company’s Ancillary flexo technology, this new self-regulating concept comprises the UniPrint Combi chamber doctor blade E-line and coating circulator, and a coating conditioner. It will enable sheet-fed and web offset printers to coat printed products at faster speeds, without the risk of micro-foaming and blisters in the coated surface, caused by the transfer of air into the coating from the anilox roll cells.

The new offset coating system is suitable for UV and water-based varnishes, for applications where a “perfect coating finish” is needed, including high value glue-applied paper labels, cartonboard packaging and shrink sleeves

On a 900m² stand (41-1 in Hall 15), Windmöller & Hölscher will display a 10-colour Miraflex CL 10 flexo press and printing stations from the Heliostar S gravure press. The company will also present developments to the Easy range of automation modules, which will shorten setup times, increase productivity and minimize waste.

Since the last Drupa, W&H has extended its Miraflex, Novoflex and Vistaflex series to offer “the most versatile range of central impression flexo presses in the world”. The widths and repeat ranges available with the Miraflex and Novoflex are said to cover 90% of flexible packaging products on the market. Detail enhancements along with even greater machine performance allow for a real improvement in productivity, it is claimed.

Many new developments to the Heliostar gravure press will be revealed, such as effective ink and wash-up systems and the Heliocontrol register system with Easy-Sync automatic pre-register.

W&H subsidiary Garant Maschinen will be located just across the aisle (stand A41-2) and present the Triumph 3MR/SM and the Matador NG bag machines.

During Drupa, on Monday 7-11 May, W&H will host an in-house expo at its Lengerich headquarters, located 1 ½ hours north of Düsseldorf, where an extensive range of machinery and new developments is to be presented.

The new Folding Carton Suite to be demonstrated by Xeikon (Hall 8A, stand B44) has five elements: print engines, substrates, workflow, toners and finishing units. At its core is a 3000 Series press capable of printing paperboard up to 350g/m² at web widths ranging from 200-516mm. The other elements of the suite, many of which are supplied by Xeikon’s Aura partners, “are all stringently tested, ensuring customers are fully integrated”.

Since the launch of the 3000 Series in 2008, Xeikon has developed a strong position in the label and packaging markets. Key to its success has been a strong Aura partner network of leading industry providers of substrates, workflow solutions, and finishing equipment. In addition, Xeikon has developed a number of production solutions for specific market segments, including the self-adhesive suite for the label market, as well as the heat transfer label suite for the decorating market.

The consumables used in the Xeikon press have been specifically modified to handle the rough structure of paperboard, and the paperboard substrates incorporated in the Folding Carton Suite, none of which need any special pretreatment, are all supplied by Xeikon’s Aura Partners, including M-real, Iggesund, Stora Enso, International Paper and Sappi.

Where

Düsseldorf Fairgrounds

Halls 1 – 17

Outdoor Section

When

3 -16 May 2012

Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm

Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm

Atlas CW platform offers more compact film slitting solutions Atlas CW Caslon digital inkjet press from FFEI Caslon Labels printed by Domino's N600i digital inkjet press Domino's N600i A new gravure unit from Gallus Gallus Fast Action flexo press to be shown by K2 International Fast Action Web spreading technology by Mink-Buersten Mink-Buersten “Ideal for short run, high quality colour printing”: the Presstek 75DI Presstek Xeikon to feature carton printing capabilities Xeikon

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Drupa 2012
AB Graphic
Atlas Converting Equipment
Auobox
Blumer
Bograma
Cerutti
Domino
DuPont
Edale
Eltex
EskoArtwork
FFEI
Eurograv/Camis
Gallus
Goss
GSE
HP Indigo
Kama
K2
Laem
MarquipWardUnited
Mink-Buersten
Pantone
Polar-Mohr
Presstek
Pulse Roll Label
Quadtech
Schobertechnologies
Screen
Shuttleworth
Sigma
Soma
Tectonic
Theurer.com
Tresu
Windmöller & Hölscher
Xeikon