In today’s environment, there are many challenges that printers/converters must face.
Supply chain issues, extremely long lead times, sky-rocketing freight charges—the list goes on. I want to focus on two of the top challenges that converters have across the board: substrate and press operator shortages.
All photos courtesy of OMET Americas Inc
Over the last several years, the availability of substrates and the rising costs have become major problems in our industry. From the recent strike in Finland from the Paper Workers Union that caused a substantial pressure-sensitive material shortage, to silicone release liner issues causing suppliers to ration and limit quantities, substrate shortages wreaked havoc on smaller label printers and caused many problems for larger converters as well. Now add the scarcity of qualified press operators or even people that are willing to learn and be trained and you have a recipe for disaster.
Or do you?
More with Less
I’m sure you’ve heard the sayings “Do more with less,” or “Measure twice, cut once,” which is sound advice. But how exactly do you do this, especially with older technology? OMET has a saying it keeps at the forefront when designing new presses: “Necessity Drives Innovation!” It’s applied to a wide range of press offerings on a daily basis—from narrow web label and digital-hybrid, to folding carton, UV offset and mid-web flexible packaging.
Since mid-web flexible packaging is one of the fastest-growing segments in our industry, I’ll focus on one of OMET’s latest presses that embodies the title of this article—“Efficient and effortless.”
Please allow me to introduce the X7 press. Offered in 26-in. width, it is packed with the latest technology that will help converters “Do more with less”—now and many years into the future.
In a recent FLEXO Magazine Flash Poll, taken from a large sampling of flexographic printing and converting plants, pertaining to areas they considered most important in growing and maintaining their businesses, the top two responses on the list were trimming waste and enhancing productivity. These topics coincide with substrate and press operator shortages.
As we go through the remainder of this article, I’ll explain how the X7 has been designed to address these topics, along with some other added features that target topics listed lower on the survey.
In designing the new X7, the focus was to develop a press that sets up fast with minimal waste and is very easy to learn and operate. “Efficient and effortless” has become the end result. The X7 is a fully servo-driven press, which includes nine servo motors per print station and has no line shaft in the drive train. With one of the shortest web paths in the industry, the X7 right out of the gate uses less material. Some of the features that allow it to be “efficient and effortless” are:
- Automatic pre-register: Lineal and axial
- Automatic impression: Plate-to-substrate and plate-to-anilox
- Automatic register control: Lineal and axial
- Lightweight printing sleeves
- Slide-out print decks
- Servo-controlled anilox: This controls Delta E throughout speed changes
Material Miser
With the short web path and electronic controls, the X7 can be in register in less than one web length. With the automatic impression option, even less-skilled press operators can set up each job faster and more consistently, which saves time and uses less material.
With intuitive controls it can be more flexible. That means plant management will not have to hire the most experienced operators, which helps with the ever-demanding labor search.
Another advantage of the innovative design is the ability to replace two or three older presses with just one new model. That too helps with efficiency. It also assists in coping with the shortage of personnel.
Tension Is Tantamount
OMET, a family-owned business since 1963, has been building presses that print on tissue and paper towels for years. This type of printing requires very precise tension controls, due to the fragility of these substrates.
With this knowledge and expertise about web tension, OMET has integrated its label and packaging presses with superior tension controls, which is paramount in holding precise register and producing the highest level of print quality. One of the biggest factors that contributes to waste is misregister and tension plays a key role in the process.
Other features that help operators be more efficient with less effort include the design of the printing stations. Each station uses lightweight print sleeves and anilox rolls which aid in the ergonomics, safety and speed in which the press operator can work.
With the slide-out printing deck, there is no need to lean into the machine. This helps prevent injuries and allows for faster changeovers—even while the press is running a current job. If a pit-stop-type crew is utilized during job changes, a new job can be up and running in minutes compared to older, slower technology.
Another unique feature the OMET press lines offer is the patented direct drive print sleeve mandrel. A servo motor is directly coupled to the mandrel which allows for more precise control over register adjustments down to a half-micron resolution. This also aids in smoother print quality, since the plate mandrel isn’t being influenced through a gearbox or a set of transfer gears, belts, etc.
Speed & Control
With the direct-drive servo technology, the X7 also has a feature that allows the operator to have control of the surface speed of the anilox roll. Where this really shines is during speed changes of the press.
On typical flexographic presses, the density of the ink can change while going from slower setup speeds to faster production speeds. The anilox speed control feature allows the X7 to maintain a tighter Delta E, which not only gives more consistent print results and reduces waste, but gives converters more options, especially if considering expanded gamut (EG) printing, which requires precise color control along with very tight register tolerances. Color control was also listed as an important topic on the Flash Poll.
Flexible & Fluid
In the ever-changing marketplace, work that a converter is producing today could be totally different tomorrow. The need for flexibility is key to staying ahead of the curve when changes occur and the X7 is well positioned for this challenge.
It’s well-suited for flexible packaging, shrink sleeves, etc. but also serves as a label press with the ability to add die stations, turnbars, cold foil, rotary screen and other embellishments traditionally used on narrow web presses. If a label converter is considering moving into flexible packaging, the X7 will allow them to continue to run legacy label jobs while slowly integrating flexible packaging into the production mix. Efficient and effortless is in the DNA!
Automation and control drive the press, and it’s all based on advanced technologies plus communications and connectivity enhancing workflow systems—important elements on printers’ wish lists that were brought to light.
The latest press has the ability to fully save all of the job parameters for faster setups when the job is put back on press. It can also work with popular MIS systems when critical production data is needed for job costing and other analysis so essential to a plant’s strategic planning initiatives.
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