BOBST Smart DigiMount Increases Efficiency of Automated Flexo Plate Mounting

BOBST has announced the introduction of a new version of its DigiMount fully automated flexo plate mounting system. The latest Smart DigiMount further improves efficiency on narrow- and mid-web in-line flexo presses and multi-process printing and converting lines that make use of sleeve technology.

Smart DigiMount features advanced electronics for improved speed and accuracy of plate mounting. It handles sleeve repeats of 254 – 812.8 mm and optionally 1066.8 mm (10—32˝ optionally 42˝). This extends its capabilities to accommodate larger web widths and formats. Also new is an enclosure to exclude ambient light, helping the positioning system to operate consistently whatever the environment. The original DigiMount version is also still available to suit print cylinder repeats of 139.7 - 609.6 mm (5.5—24˝).

The BOBST Smart DigiMount flexo plate mounter

BOBST has worked to eliminate the workflow issues that derive from inaccurate plate mounting since the early days of the Digital Automation project. This has revolutionized the way in-line flexo presses for labels and packaging work by making all press operations fully digitally checked, adjusted and controlled. As part of the project, the first DigiMount flexo plate mounter with digital assisted operation was launched in 2015.

The market has since become very familiar with the Digital Automation program, comprising the Digital Flexo technology and the REVO seven-color Extended Color Gamut process, which automatically manage the whole printing and converting workflow from validation of the artwork to the final product.

Flexo plates need to be mounted with accuracy and speed that cannot be performed manually by an operator. In particular, when a press runs using the seven-color ECG process, any manual intervention by the operator should be avoided so as to provide total digital quality and productivity, effectively closing the loop of Digital Automation.

The DigiMount system is easy, fast and effective: the operator only has to place the plate in the mounter and start the alignment sequence of the reference mark alignment from the touchscreen. An automatic quality check confirms that the plate has been mounted correctly or informs if the procedure needs to start over. This is all it takes to achieve a plate mounting accuracy of 0.02 +/- mm, repeatable and consistent on each print cylinder or print cylinder sleeve.

“Every concept within the BOBST Digital Automation program is continuously upgraded or extended so as to keep pace with the equipment evolution and to always ensure new improved levels of integrated automation,” said Matteo Cardinotti, managing director of BOBST Firenze and head of narrow and mid-web multi-process product line. “This has led to the development of the Smart DigiMount version of the plate mounter in order to provide a solution for BOBST narrow- and mid-web production lines dedicated to the production of labels, flexible packaging or carton packaging that use sleeve technology. This can accommodate larger formats and web widths, such as the M6 and the M8.”

Source: BOBST.

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with packagePRINTING. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of packagePRINTING.