An Army of Support

It’s a virtual war out there and converters are on the front lines. Striving to stay one step ahead of the competition, converters need to know they have a support system that they can seek out and use for appealing product innovations, especially when it comes to the building blocks of the printing world—printing presses. Narrow-web press manufacturers are listening closely to what printers are asking for, and are developing new and better equipment all the time.

To do this well, they must know what converters are demanding from their presses. Mac Rosenbaum, vice president, sales and marketing, Aquaflex (A division of F.L. Smithe Machine Co. Inc.), sees several trends in what his customers are asking for. “Our customers are focused on flexibility—that includes the ability to accommodate combination printing processes inline. They’re also asking for greater press efficiency and faster changeovers to remain profitable in short runs,” said Rosenbaum. “We are seeing more interest in our digital capabilities to accommodate variable date printing. These customer requests point to an overriding trend toward adding more value for less cost.”

This year, Aquaflex unveiled the new FPC servo press. With its totally new design, the Servo FPC is a multi-substrate press that prints from 48-gauge films to 26-pt. board at speeds up to 1,000 fpm. It features a new in-line print head for reproduction, and uses advanced sleeve technology to provide fast changeovers. The FPC is 100 percent servo-driven and is offered in 16˝ through 32˝ web widths. “This is a robust and versatile printing platform that fully addresses the complex needs of the package-printing industry,” said Rosenbaum.

“Bigger, faster, better!” is another frequent request heard from printers. “What this means is that we see a clear trend towards longer and more complex press configurations, which provide significant improvements in set-up time and waste factors, coupled with demands for even better printing and converting quality,” said Paul Mattle, marketing manager, Gallus Corp. Headquarters, Switzerland.

The need to constantly provide improvements, coupled with the idea of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)—which encourages label printers to look at total overall cost for label production—and the fact that substrates are in a constant state of change, are what prompted Gallus to design the Gallus RCS 330 and the Gallus EM 260/410/510 S. “These printing systems, with now more than 80 presses sold, and several label printers already working with their second and third machines of the same kind, has proven its ability to reduce TCO significantly, while at the same time increasing printing quality,” said Mattle.

With converters wanting it NOW and wanting it BETTER, engineers at press manufacturer Drent Goebel B.V. have noticed that their customers are asking them to combine various technologies into one printing press—a.k.a., hybrid printing. “Thanks to the modular build up of our press, this is very easy. We are still finding new technologies that we can incorporate,” said Gerben B. van Wijk, public relations manager, Drent Goebel. In-line finishing is also a technology that Drent Goebel is incorporating on their presses and has the possibility to change the look of printing by eliminating unnecessary handling, which adds cost. “We believe that the optimal solution is when you can start with a roll of substrate and finish with completely printed and converted products delivered at the end of your press,” said van Wijk. “Handling needs to be brought down to a minimum.”

Drent Goebel’s Vision is a short makeready web offset printing press that combines shaftless technology with near limitless in-line options, such as flexo print, screen print, gravure print, digital print, hot foil stamping, laminating, diecutting, and sheeting.

Nilpeter’s Mike Schmidt, vice president, global sales and support, said his company has also been feverishly working to ensure the company is “closely addressing the customer’s need for flexibility and quicker set up, less waste, and real lean manufacturing.” Hence Nilpeter’s introduction of the next generation in the FA-line of modular UV-flexo presses, the FA 4. “It can handle a wide variety of substrates for not just labels, but several other packaging applications, with chill drums and computer-controlled tensioning systems,” he said.

The overall trend in narrow-web presses is the need for presses to be equipped with more capabilities. “Presses are now asked to do more and more,” said Denny McGee, vice president, sales and marketing, MPS (Multi Print System) America. “They have to add value, but have to be easy to use. Today’s machines have to have the horsepower, the looks, but really, they have to drive like a sports car.”

On the front lines

New enhancements abound in the narrow-web press world, which makes it imperative that manufacturers educate printers and help them make the best choice for their converting operations. “We believe one should select a manufacturer rather than an individual printing press. Look for a manufacturer with a rich heritage of continuing innovation … then work with that manufacturer to determine the best product fit for your business,” said Rosenbaum.

But before deciding on a manufacturer, here’s a short list of more narrow-web presses available:

• The Webtron Performance Press from Paper Converting Machine Co. (PCMC) features new widths, the Model 1013 13˝ and the Model 1620 20˝ presses. The Performance Presses can be configured to meet the needs of specific applications, while keeping press operation and job changeover as quick and easy as possible.

• OMET’s new Multiflex line of narrow-web presses gives operators the ability to print any material from self-adhesive paper and plastic films, to folding cartons. The Multiflex FP offers an ideal configuration for the flexo printing of self-adhesive label and the converting of flexible packaging, with quick set-up.

• The Mark Andy 4150 is designed to help package printers develop new markets and can be assembled to specifications in 10˝, 16˝, and 20˝ widths. Each width can handle 14 print stations and can run at speeds up to 500 fpm. It has full dual-side frames from the floor up, to create a solid and rigid structure.

• The Ko-Pack 250 FR 10˝ press offers non-stop production to label printers. It has the capability of printing up to seven colors and UV flexo and UV rotary letterpress processes at speeds up to 492 fpm and can print up to a width of 10˝.

• Taiyo Kikai’s TLC-250 label printing press performs at speeds up to 260 fpm with flat bed diecutting and up to 400 fpm with rotary diecut units. The central drum impression cylinder can accommodate six letterpress printing units and up to 12 colors.

• The Effective Converting (EC) press from MPS is a servo-driven press for self-adhesive label printing. It incorporates MPS’ Crisp.Dot technology, which enables printers to work with fine dots, leading to an offset print quality. The EC system also uses digital multi-drive technology that transports the web independently of the converting process.

On the horizon

Despite the number of current presses available, press manufacturers promise they will not stop working towards developing the ultimate invention. “We have more potential to make the label printing presses even more effective and that is what we will do—guaranteed,” said Mattle. “We will also invest in better integration of pre- and post-processes, as there is a clear potential for TCO improvement by optimizing inter-process steps. For label printing in the future, the three most important factors will be productivity, productivity, and productivity.”

“We continuously seek innovation—not only in our presses but in the workflows that support them. In the final analysis, in-line flexography is a manufacturing process as much as it is a printing process,” said Rosenbaum. n

Resources

Aquaflex www.aquaflex.com

Cerutti Group www.zerand.com

Drent Goebel www.drent-goebel.com

Gallus www.gallus.org

Ko-Pack www.ko-pack.com

Mark Andy www.markandy.com

Multi Print Systems www.mps4u.com

Nilpeter USA www.nilpeter.net

Omet www.omet.it

PCMC www.pcmc.com

Propheteer International www.propheteerintl.com

Taiyo Kikai www.www.taiyo-kikai.co.jp