Gallus at drupa 2012: Maximum productivity and flexibility

At this year's drupa (from May 3 to 16 in Düsseldorf, Germany), Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen GmbH (Hall 2, Booth 2A45) from Weiden, Germany, will be putting the spotlight on the enormous productivity potential in producing folding cartons in an inline process. Visitors to the trade fair will be able to clue up on a number of production solutions for liquid packaging offered by the Folding Carton division of the Gallus Group, as well as on the unique process flexibility of Gallus' systems for manufacturing high-quality folding cartons. Live demos of the successful Gallus ICS 670 machine system focus on a host of technological innovations and reveal the key advantages of inline production with respect to flexibility, productivity and quality.

Evolution of the Gallus ICS 670

The Gallus ICS 670 is an inline machine system that has been tailored specifically to the needs of state-of-the-art folding carton production. Following up from the successful launch of this system, drupa 2012 will serve as the platform for a series of new innovative upgrades and options. Gallus will be demonstrating a combination of its HiDef flexo printing™ system and a totally new gravure unit, as well as other high-quality finishing processes, such as rotary screen printing or cold foiling in a single pass. By integrating the flying imprint option (a "spare" printing unit that allows promotional images or text to be changed without interrupting production) and the new 100 percent quality control system with blank ejection, the Gallus ICS 670 offers even more highlights.

New-generation gravure

The new, trendsetting gravure printing unit, which can be integrated at any point in the machine system, adds a second main printing process to the Gallus ICS 670's functionality, enabling printers to use water- and solvent-based inks. It sets new standards in terms of efficiency, economy and user friendliness thanks to the easy-to-handle ink changeover trolley and tool-less ink, doctor blade and impression cylinder changeover. Cylindrical gravure sleeves also help greatly reduce operating costs. A unique web lead with various dryer options shortens the web run considerably and helps reduce waste. What's more, the gravure unit 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.

Brilliant HiDef flexo printing™

Gallus' HiDef flexo printing™ system shines thanks to its top-drawer print quality at all speeds, from proofing to full production speed. Temperature-controlled anilox rollers, dynamic printing pressure adjustment and perfectly matched components, such as inking systems and printing plates, open the door for extraordinarily demanding applications. Moreover, the use of ink cartridges, sleeve technology and chambered doctor blade systems can reduce setup and changeover times to an absolute minimum. HiDef flexo printing™ modules can be made ready outside the machine system and be incorporated into any EVA (easy value add) platform without any need for tools.

Film and foil finishing

The new inline module for laminating and cold foiling metalized or transparent films offers maximum efficiency and a great deal of scope for value-add finishing variants. The module fits into every EVA platform and means there's no longer any need to use expensive pre-laminated stocks.

Gallus FCL flat-bed diecutter with 100 percent quality control

A new blank ejection option for the Gallus FCL flat-bed diecutter is being rolled out specially to coincide with drupa 2012. A 100 percent 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 guarantees 100 percent quality control in the inline production of folding carton blanks – from the reel to the finished blank.

The Gallus Group
Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen GmbH of Weiden, Germany, belongs to the Gallus Group that is headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG has a 30 percent stake in the Group.
Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen GmbH is the Gallus Group's Folding Carton division, which develops and manufactures fully customized machine systems for high-quality inline manufacture of folding carton blanks. With three product lines and flat-bed die-cutters, which allow a flexible combination of printing, finishing and converting processes, Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen satisfies all market demands with regard to production output, batch sizes and the finishing of folding cartons. Training, application support and a differentiated range of service packages round off the company's portfolio. Gallus markets and distributes its products and services through its own global network of regional offices and distributors.