Heartbeat of the Plant: drupa 2016 Guide to Presses

Bobst
Bobst

Compiled by Robert Moran

Intelligent machinery, integrated processes and intuitive handling—that is the promise of innovative suppliers serving the global printing, packaging and converting community. Engineering and development teams, committed to delivering state of the art models of efficiency in compact and modular designs, have cast their visions across multiprocess print platforms to include flexography, offset, gravure, screen, digital and hybrid derivatives.

Their focus is on automation and control. The intent driving all moves is to maximize efficiencies, optimize processes, dispel waste, expand capabilities, escalate productivity and boost profitability.

Machinery debuting in 2016 is complex, fast, ergonomic and operator friendly. These high tech/high performance wonders deliver measurable value.

Here is a look at what Flexographic Technical Association member firms and their affiliates on the supply side are showcasing at drupa 2016 (May 31 – June 10), assembled based on input and reflective thoughts collected from them. Offerings presented range from presses to process controls to web transit technologies, finishing equipment, and every and any element that could be folded into a single pass converting line. Printers and converters can evaluate the potential benefits of deploying these newly developed devices and what they might be able to deliver in continuously improving operations and strengthening the competitive advantage of each plant.

BOBST—Hall 10, Stand A60 1-4

BOBST, one of the world’s foremost suppliers of equipment and services to packaging and label manufacturers, will use drupa 2016 to showcase innovation solutions that will drive customer productivity higher, open up new capabilities and protect customers’ global investments.

CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst said, “2016 will be a milestone year for BOBST as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the formation of our company. This drupa will see us clearly demonstrate that we are going forward with the same dynamism and commitment that first won us our reputation in the industry.”

Among the highlights BOBST will present at drupa 2016 will be:

  • New central impression (CI) flexo, inline flexo, gravure and digital printing presses; laminators; coaters and metallizers, many featuring digital automation technologies for easy, repeatable and reliable operation in a digital printing and converting workflow
  • A brand new version of the M6 UV flexo press, configured with folding carton production in mind, which will challenge offset printed carton production by offering job changeovers in less than a minute—thanks to digital flexo technology, high running speeds and high speed, inline sheeting. Cartons produced on the line can then be converted using the BOBST diecutting and folding/gluing equipment available to most carton makers. The 7-color M6 offers what no other press in the market can—the cost benefits of purchasing board on reels, allied to the production benefits of the no water, no solvent, fast changeover UV digital flexo process
  • The breakthrough high output digital printing press for corrugated board, and digital printing press for folding carton, paper and film World premiere of a brand new MASTERCUT 106 PER, billed as the most productive die cutter ever available to the industry
  • A new MASTERFOIL 106 PR hot foil stamping press that incorporates FOIL UNWINDER+, a system which delivers up to 30 percent more press productivity and a reduction of up to 50 percent in foil use
  • A new folder/gluer to allow packaging manufacturers to realize “zero fault” production
Brookfield
Brookfield

Brookfield Ametek—Hall 12, Stand A63

Brookfield Ametek, a world leader in viscosity measurement and control, will display the AST-100 viscometer. The AST, a favorite instrument of global printing press manufacturers and large printers, provides stable, repeatable viscosity and temperature readings. The AST features a no moving parts design which includes a sensor unaffected by vibration or flow and ensures consistent readings in the most stressful environments. It also does not need any special insulation or installation precautions like other products.

Because the AST has a small footprint, is user friendly and provides precise measurement in harsh conditions, press operators can measure from pump to press in real time. With consistency from roll to roll, printing operations will experience ink savings and waste reduction, making for a more cost effective and environmentally friendly process. By controlling consistency, you can lay down more accurate film, reduce drying times and increase print speeds.

Comexi—Hall 10, Stand B20

Comexi will launch its new printing presses that combine sophisticated performance and the latest technological innovations. Comexi will display its new technology for three printing lines—flexography, rotogravure and offset—with the promise that the most exciting presentation will be the new flexo machine, which allows higher automation in the printing process. This new technology, Comexi’s all time best seller in large format printing presses, was the inspiration for development.

Comexi will also exhibit the L20000, a water based laminating machine, specially designed to complement the HP Indigo 20000. This exhibition will be at the HP stand, running demos with the new machine.

Domino—Hall 5, Stand A23

Philip Easton, director of Domino’s Digital Printing Solutions Division, comments: “We will continue to focus on delivering solutions to meet different customer requirements rather than just offering the digital printing press… Our latest innovations start with job creation and workflow, through to printing and final product finishing.”

Domino will be showing for the first time a B2 digital printing sheetfed solution, including the newly launched, 30.79-in. print width Domino K600i monochrome printer. This system will operate at up to 393.7 fpm printing on sheets from 60 g/m² to 250 g/m². Applications range from variable data printing for security printing and game cards to two dimensional (2-D) code printing onto carton sheets of folded cartons.

Domino will be displaying its market leading N610i 7-color inkjet digital label press. This will operate at up to 246.06 fpm using high impact UV curable inks. This is the highest productivity digital label press operating either reel to reel, or reel to finished label.

Comexi
Comexi

Dow Chemical—Hall 15, Stand A29 & Nordmeccanica—Hall 15, Stand B42

Dow Chemical Co. announced a global innovation and business development agreement with Nordmeccanica S.p.A., a worldwide leader in coating, laminating and metallizing machinery. Both companies see enormous potential to advance solutions for the flexible packaging industry by combining adhesive development with machine pioneering that targets new technologies for faster commercialization to market.

New developments can be expected from the joint collaboration with Dow and Nordmeccanica through Dow’s Pack Studios in Mozzate, Italy. Customized to address the needs of Dow’s adhesives customers, this innovation and technology training center offers a large collaboration space and hosts an industry scale Nordmeccanica Super Combi 3000 laminator line. This state of the art equipment allows international customers to test, prototype and bring forward innovation in packaging lamination without interrupting their own commercial production. The collaboration agreement between Dow and Nordmeccanica will also enable similar capabilities at additional Pack Studios across the globe.

Aiming at faster commercialization of new adhesive solutions, Dow and Nordmeccanica are working on joint projects in order to bring several new technologies to market in 2016.

ETI Converting Equipment—Hall 3, Stand C14

ETI Converting Equipment will have a machine on display to demonstrate the efficiency of its multifunctional inline coating and printing equipment, called the Mini-Cohesio.

One of the features of the Mini-Cohesio is its length: roughly 24-ft. instead of roughly 49-ft. for a standard Cohesio. Printers with space constraints will enjoy this more compact model. The press has a maximum web width of 13-in. and it prints on a large variety of papers and filmic substrates.

The Mini-Cohesio will be equipped with the Pellicut, the ETI unique diecutting system. This patent pending technology is ultra compact, robust and extremely precise. It can die cut on a liner as thin as 18-µ. The Mini-Cohesio machine can produce material at 500 fpm using different adhesive technologies: Standard hotmelt, UV curable hotmelt acrylic and water based emulsion adhesive. Equipment shown will manufacture clear on clear PS labels (BOPP 50-µ. and a PET 18-µ.) at a speed of 500 fpm from raw material to finished product in one manufacturing process.