Converflex quietly confident

ACOM (Advanced Converting machinery) will present the new RG Platinum 06 rotogravure press for short and medium runs. The new printing unit is manufactured with standard parts and then customized by dedicated technical features, such as different inking and doctor blade groups, register controls, and washing solutions, to match customer requirements. Top printing speed is said to be 350m/min. Hall 22, stand B26.

A new version of the Pack integrated multi management information system for box manufacturers and converters will be introduced by B+B Informatica.

The most important new features of Pack 2.5 are related to production schedules. One is the program integration with Paper Linea Fabrica, Sirio’s system for scheduling, optimization and process control. This expands the applicability of B+B’s ERP system to corrugators and to integrated box manufacturers. The second new feature is the integration with the Accelerate scheduling system from VantagePoint.

Pack can also interface to Esko’s ArtiosCAD for design, and Kongsberg for sample making and small lot digital production. Hall 22, stand C28.

Bieffebi will show the new Unica 343V mounter proofer, which has a virtual information system (patent pending) that uses the working file, to allow proofing without inks. Hall 24, stand D44.

New from CPS will be the TP524 converting machine, claimed to be capable of producing up to 30 different folded non wovens products in one shift. “The converter only has to use the right raw material reel and final product codes - all this without material waste, boasts the company.

Said to be easily integrated into most converting environments, the TP524 offers “new possibilities to respond to new market challenges by adding finished product diversification and reducing stock necessities”. Hall 22, stand C65.

A wide range of converting equipment for the paper, film, foil and non wovens industries is offered by Elsner Engineering. Virtually every type of consumer roll product can be wound, rewound, packaged or folded on an Elsner machine, the company claims.

Complete lines can be supplied for the conversion of printed giftwrap, paper, tissue, film or metallized film from master roll to finished, wrapped and labelled retail ready rolls with a single operator. Also available are rolling and folding machines for both wet and dry wipes.

Lines are offered for the automatic or semi automatic rolled production of kitchen products such as aluminum foil, clingfilm, wax papers, baking papers and microwave papers, and kraft wrapping papers. Hall 22, stand 58.

Making its world debut on the Emmeci stand will be the MC 2006 SCB automatic machine to produce slip cases for ringbinders, large books, and wine and spirits bottles. Hall 24, stand E21.

Foxel will show, for the first time, a system for the total control of the waste generated in the slitting department. The Procheck system, combined with the GRSA automatic waste disposal unit, is said to increase productivity by improving slitter performance both in terms of running speed and staff efficiency.

The Procheck includes two terminals: one installed on the rewinder of each production machine for coding all the waste that occurs during material printing. Coding is made possible by the use of RFID technology in tags that are applied to the printed reels. The second terminal is installed on each slitter rewinder and decodes the data contained in the tag. It is interfaced with the slitter controls, stopping the machine when it gets to the waste material and activating the GRSA unit to dispose of the waste automatically.

Procheck also allows tracking of the printed products and the waste database produced can be used to evaluate the efficiency of each production machine. Hall 22, stand B52.

In co-operation with Nuova Castagnoli, Gidue will launch the Xpannd - a flexo press with UV offset printing units integrated with printing and converting systems from the Gidue Combat series of presses. A new cassette system is said to make changing the offset heads almost as simple as that of a flexo unit.

The Xpannd press will also feature the new Intelligent Register system for automatic register set-up, Flower flexo print units, and Nemo PC press interface interactive with most management information systems for print management and job tracking.

The Xpannd is said to reduce waste because it can idle down to 12m/min during job set-up. It is available in 370, 430 and 530mm widths. Hall 22, stand B48.

The sleeve dedicated wide web Viper is JM Heaford’s latest mounter/proofer. It incorporates servodrive technology for automatic proofing without the need for gears. It also features high magnification cameras (140x), HMI touchscreen technology and multiple job storage capacity.

Another exhibit will be the Model SC 2,600 x 1,350mm gravure proofing press. This can use all production parameters such as inks, plates, cylinders and the actual press substrate to print a production quality, in-register, multi colour proof for customer approvals and for checking cylinder quality, separations, text and register. Hall 24, stand D54.

The Converting Division of IMS Deltamatic will feature a twin shaft slitter for foils. The model MEC 4 is a special version of the existing model MEC 3 twin shaft slitter, with two independent pressure units, one for the upper, the second for the lower winding position, mounted on two separate sliding carriages. It allows the machine to operate with different dimensional parameters (finished reel diameter and core diameter) for the upper and for the lower winding positions, improving the flexibility in operation.

Another characteristic of this model is said to be the elimination of hydraulic components to obviate any danger of contamination for the material due to eventual oil leaks. Hall 22, stand D24.

Nordson plans to promote the new Logicomm modular and expandable glue pattern controller, which can be integrated with a complete quality assurance system capable of controlling the entire production cycle. Various functions may be added to the controller, such as hot and cold melt adhesive sensors, window detection, bar code reading, and interface with the corporate network and line. These functions are all managed by a single, large colour touchscreen. Hall 24, stand E31.

Brushless servomotors on Omet’s new Flexy-S electronic narrow web press are said to provide the highest quality printing of labels, film and light board.

This machine features two servomotors for each print unit which, according to Omet, allows “limitless printing variety, with optimum control over the printing register thanks to motor encoder resolution”. The Flexy-S has been designed to allow in-line insertion of the Twin Cut unit for self adhesive labels, allowing operation in all printing formats without the need to change the magnetic cylinders. An internet connection for remote assistance can also be added, as well as an automatic register control built into the machine.

Finally, says Omet, the possibility of having flexo units, silkscreen printing and hot and cold stamping in-line makes for flexiblity. Hall 22, stand D60.

The latest innovations in coating technologies from Polytype Converting will be presented, such as a simultaneous multi layer curtain coating system and a vertical nip feed closed system. New winding machines designed for achieving the highest precision and quality at top speeds will be also introduced. Hall 22, stand B55.

Czech manufacturer Soma Engineering will feature the Venus ll, the latest addition to its Planet range of slitter rewinders. The Venus ll is a servo driven machine for slitting films and foils at speeds up to 700m/min. It operates from an unwind diameter of 1,500mm and is available in widths of 1,100mm, 1,350mm, 1,600 and 1,850mm. Features include automatic knife and laser core positioning, intuitive touchscreen controls and a new automatic web holding system that provides ease of operation for splicing. Hall 22, stand B27.

Vetaphone is exhibiting Corona-Plus equipment featuring the Quick Change system for easy film thread-up and maintenance. The Corona-Plus can be used to solve problems such as pinholes in a metallized surface, and burndown of the metallized layer in the border of the material. Treatment is also said to guarantee a constant, high dyne level with minimum decay at very high production speeds. Hall 22, stand B64.

Vision Device will feature the WebCheck inspection system for continuous materials, said to be capable of detecting defects and abnormalities such as holes, tears, lumps, and inclusions on 100 per cent of the product. It can work with films, paper, non wovens, and laminates. The ‘Event Management’ system will provide real-time warnings using the hardware (acoustic signal or warning lights, marker, line stop) and software (such as video messages, save to statistics, save image defect). Hall 22, stand B15.

Electrostatic assist specialist ACE di Barbui Davide & Figli will feature the ESA ACE Rotostatic and ASC 44 remote control electronic systems for use on gravure printing units. During the show it will be possible to view Rotostatic installations on press manufacturers’ stands.

Special mechanical components are said to give the ACE web cleaner a superior effectiveness. It simultaneously cleans both surfaces of the material, and the non contact action is said to remove the smallest particles without affecting the web. Hall 22, stand C19.

Visitors to the Battenfeld Gloucester stand will see the Flexolite flexo press, which will print webs up to 80in wide at speeds to 1,500ft/min. Its patented LinearSet print deck system uses linear encoders in place of ball screws to ensure accurate positioning of anilox rollers and print cylinders, and fast, precise movement of the print deck. The company says it can put one or all print decks into final register in “about two revolutions of the central drum”.

The unit's EasyOpen system is said to simplify sleeve changes by signaling the PLC to open the print station so that sleeves, bases and anilox sleeves are automatically ready for change. As no moving parts of the print deck are on the operator's side of the machine, the print cylinder, bases and roller sleeves not in use can be changed during operation. The PLC monitors which decks are printing and which are being changed.

Other features include drying systems customized for each user's needs; and UV and EB systems for users who don't want to run solvent or water based inks, or who want to apply coatings. The press can run different types of winders, which permit use of rolls in diameters of 32, 40 or 60 in. Hall 24, stand E61.

Bielloni Castello will highlight its gearless flexo presses designed to handle very short runs.

The Theorema Gearless FSC 1908 is an “easy to use” system recommended for printers who have frequent job changes and short or very short print runs. It employs a special system to decrease sleeve change-over time. The printing groups have been designed to minimize downtime needed for the movement of the anilox and printing sleeve supports when a change is made.

The FSC 1908 uses direct motion transmission technology to the printing cylinder, anilox and central drum by independent AC motors, with programmed Indramat servodrives.

The Magiflex Gearless system features a facility to position the locks/stoppers into a pre-print position from a workstation. The printing groups are driven by a motor reducer that moves both the printing unit and the inking groups with automatic stop in printing position according to the selected repeat. Hall 24, stand C48.

Specialist supplier of slitter rewinders for films, paper and laminates Bimec will display its latest models.

The machines will be shown with accessories such as differential rewind shafts, computerized control system through touchscreen operator panel, laser core positioning, and a pushing system for finished roll unloading. Hall 24, stand E49.

A “world exclusive innovation” promised by Carint is the Cyberflex OF.G gearless flexo press - featuring a colour unit with offset gravure technology. This is described as a shaftless driven central drum press which prints using the rotogravure technique with sleeves.

Carint says the OF.G is “destined to take up that market segment of very high quality which flexo could not satisfy", with the advantages over traditional gravure presses of both flexibility due to the use of sleeves and financial savings.

The first machine has already been installed in the USA, where it is said to have passed a series of demanding printing trials and impressed visitors during an open house organized by Carint. Hall 24, stand E43.

Currently installed in 20 countries, Cartes Equipment claims its laser cutting machines are highly rated by label printers. The computer operated machines are said to offer high speed, flexibility and quality. They are entirely tool-free, user friendly and offer minimal maintenance costs, the company states. Latest development is a range of dual laser models.

Cartes also has equipment for hot stamping and silkscreen printing. Hall 24, stand E37.

Latest innovation from Franchini&C is the Serigon 350 fully servo driven silkscreen printing machine, with a user friendly slide-along control panel and patent pending universal format rotary die. This can die cut the whole printed area using a gap saving system said to reduce waste remarkably. The servo technology is claimed to ensure register control performances “unheard of in roll-to-roll silkscreen printing”. Hall 22, stands C51/D48.

During Converflex, Euromac will have an open House in its main plant at Villanova Monferrato, where customers and visitors can view its facilities and see various types of slitting and rewinding machines demonstrated. The plant is an hour by road from the exhibition centre and visits can be organized upon request.

The machines that can be viewed at Euromac are the: Type TB-8.10CM primary slitter for 5m wide bioriented film applications; TB-3.08 duplex type secondary slitter with differential friction shafts and rewind diameter of 800mm; and the model TB-3.06T2 high capacity double turret slitter with automatic change-over and low downtimes to 30s. Hall 22, stand B06.

Manufacturer of die cutting tools Wink Stanzwerkzeuge offers precision steel rule dies, flexible dies and rotary cylinders – “of finest quality, extremely durable and supplied within ultra short delivery times”. Hall 22, stand C61.

Simflex is claimed to be the most complete software system to manage printing operations in the flexible packaging and label industries. It “lets you manage all the life cycle of your company from the estimate to the account statement analysis, passing through the full control of the production flow, including scheduling and data retrieval from the presses to get the final balance of the orders”.

Already said to be used by the major companies in the Italian market, from Converflex 2006 Able will start to promote the system in foreign countries. It will also be entirely redesigned to become fully web based.

The Datawarehouse module enables managers to analyze the progress of their company and generate reports and graphs through the web. Able also offers a complete Corporate Portal and CRM integration that can be used to manage the business between a company and its customers, suppliers and sales agents. Hall 22, stand B16.

Bardo provides advanced web handling equipment for the paper, film, printing, corrugating, sheeting, converting, and packaging industries. Several components are made from carbon fibre to ensure high performance.

Bardo’s product line includes core chucks; expanding carbon fibre shafts; aluminum and steel expanding shafts; carbon fibre core plugs; carbon fibre rollers; aluminum and steel rollers; engraved embossing rolls; and Mayer bars. The company also offers many products for the flexo printing industry, such as carbon fibre shafts for sleeve support, printing sleeves and anilox rolls.

Also available are semi automatic and manual core cutters, and equipment to restore board cores. Hall 22, stand C44.

BiEsse will exhibit its range of compressible double-sided tapes “able to satisfy the most demanding flexo printing requirements”. The company’s four ranges of cushion tapes include a variety of products at five levels of compressive strength, specially designed to produce the highest definition, whatever the type of printing. Hall 22, stand B05.

The DCM Group is to feature its gravure presses - narrow web and wide web, conventional or with electronic line shaft; coating and laminating lines, solvent and solventless laminators; and slitter rewinders. Forming and seaming equipment for shrink sleeves, sleeve cutting machines, inspection and doctoring machines, and sheet-fed flexo presses will also be promoted, together with paper and carton converting machines for liquid packages, cigarette packs, labels and tags.

On its stand at Grafitalia, GBC Films Group Europe will exhibit the new Delta 76 and Centurion 2 thermal laminators for high quality packaging finishing. The company will also demonstrate its range of gloss, matt, silk, scuff-free and metallic films.

The Delta 76 can laminate up to a width of 76cm at 50m/min. It is said to be particularly suited for digital printing, as it matches most of the systems in the market and processes films that offer better lay-flat properties and better adhesion to digital prints.

The Centurion 2 offers lamination up to 105cm wide, which makes it suitable for luxury package printing. Maximum web speed is 70m/min and it is designed to process a wide range of films. Grafitalia – Hall 13, stand D63.

Eberle promises to introduce “a whole new dimension” in in-line and off-line core cutting systems.

The Primevère automatic core cutter is designed for medium size quantities. It will cut tubes with a maximum length of 1.5 or 2m and a thickness of 15mm. Equipped with the same precise and high speed electronic cutting system as the Prima model, the Véronique will also cut “the hardest and very long tubes”, thanks to its “ultra robust” construction. In addition, it can be used for cutting plastics tubes.

The automatic in-line core cutters offer a cutting length tolerance of between ± 0.5 and ± 1mm. The Gamma model handles diameters from 25-250mm and is said to be adaptable to a large variety of cores. The Profiline automatic in-line edge protector cutter is said to offer adaptability, clear, accurate cut and high speed with no compromise on quality. Hall 24, stand C18.

Elio Cavagna - known for its ‘Helios’ trademark - builds knifeholders and complete cutting modules, either for new slitters or for retrofitting. The company’s innovations include self locking knifeholders, introduced in 1982, and the ‘soft cut system’ that, thanks to a minimal pressure between blade and bottom knife, allows dust-free production, long life for blade and bottom knife. It can be used to cut all flexible products such as non wovens, films, glass fibre and aluminium.

Non Stop systems allow 24 hours’ cutting without a break, as well as format changes without stopping the production. The Stilo knifeholders for longitudinal shear cut are said to allow an easy cutting angle setting, a rapid headholder change, and have a safety system for protection and a pneumatic self locking system on the guide.

The S series of pneumatic knifeholders are mounted on ball slides instead of dovetail guide bars. The ball slides are said to allow easier and faster movements and positioning on the guide. The TRC translator allows movement of the cutting units manually through a single screw; and the Helios CNC computer panel drives and manages the company’s automatic cutting modules. Hall 24, stand C32.

Laem System specializes in high tech slitter rewinders, as well as the GF Series of embossing machines.

The RB Series entry level machine is said to offer great quality at an affordable price. It has an integrated electrical cabinet and is available with a compact or separate shaftless unwinder. The heavy duty, high speed TR Series offers design flexibility and automation to reduce downtime drastically, and accommodate the tension requirements of different materials.

New centre surface and centre driven secondary slitter rewinders have been produced, including one with a web width of 3.4m, a production speed of 1,000m/min and fully automatic positioning of rewinding stations and knives. Hall 22, stand C37.

In Grafitalia, alongside Converflex, Esko will demonstrate the new Scope 3 integrated software suite, the CDI 4835 digital flexo imaging unit, and the newest and smallest Kongsberg CAM sample making table.

The new version of the modular Scope workflow is JDF 1.3 enabled, offers full support for Adobe PDF 1.6 and direct links into the popular Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 (Mac and PC versions). Its modular design is said to make it the ideal workflow for brand owners, printers, packaging converters or tradeshops - “anyone who needs to deliver consistent quality while reducing time-to-market and eliminating costs," says Goliardo Butti, Esko sales and country manager Italy. Hall 15, stands C15/D14.

New Enulec products on display will be a low maintenance charge bar now available with the ESA1000 compact electrostatic printing assist system and the STH60 ribbon tacker - upgraded with automatic ribbon width adjustment.

The low maintenance charge bar has been developed to address the problems associated with the need for frequent and expensive charge bar maintenance in top loading ESA systems. With the air purged bar, cleaning intervals are claimed to be greatly extended, the cleaning process is simplified, the life of the bar is extended and safety further assured.

Also on display will be the company’s EST 300 and EST DC high efficiency static elimination systems. Hall 22, stand C72.

Fife will announce the D-MAX Series web guiding system, which is pre-configured to provide ‘out-of-the-box’ installation. A user friendly operator interface displays plain text, guiding nomenclature or symbols, eliminating confusion, the company promises. An optional network version allows multiple guides to be controlled.

Fife’s InPrint2 video web inspection system is now available in a InPrint2.2 version. A new lens has been selected to improve the overall performance of the system in terms of image quality and field of view size. The InPrint2.2 is fully compatible with the InPrint2.

Tidland will announce the MSP-E. MSP-E. An advanced slitting system, it is said to deliver great accuracy, quicker set-up and “unmatched” slit edge quality. Fast positioning is provided through simultaneous movement of all knifeholders - and higher levels of accuracy are said to be ensured through its multiple high resolution encoder architecture.

Magpowr’s highlight will be the Spyder-LC - a “cost effective” closed loop tension control for brakes, clutches or drives in unwind, rewind or point-to-point applications. Hall 22, stand C50.

The Kosmos 3000 project is said to be the most advanced system for the production of digital flexo clichés available on the market. Developed by Flexo Group with Alpha Laser, of Berlin, it is expected to provide a wide range of CTP systems “able to satisfy every dimensional demand”.

The latest optical fibre lasers are employed, “pumped to semiconductors and their power calibrated for the complete and constant ablation of the digital photopolymer plate black layer”. The quality achieved is said to be “revolutionary” and to “allow flexography to reach the highest quality levels”.

The management software assures a constant recording speed of up to 4m2/hour, according to the company. Hall 22, stand B02.

Polish company Jurmet will be a first-time exhibitor at Converflex 2006. Founded in 1989, it is a manufacturer of slitters, label rewinders, film winders, core cutters and bowed shafts. On its 30m2 stand, the company will display its newest slitter for plastics films and a semi automatic core cutter. Hall 22, stand C46

Logitec specializes in the logistics involved in automatic handling of corrugated board, working in co-operation with major companies in the industry. It builds systems for both large and small box makers.

The company’s handling systems, driven by special control software, feed automatic loaders that set the sheets of board into the processing lines. It produces platforms with motorized scissor lifts, rotating tables, automatic robot and manual dollies, 90 degree roller-belt transfers, total filling units, automatic pallet inserters, and palletizers, conveyors, turntables, cross tables, and pick-up platforms. Hall 24, stands C24/D29.

The new Alprinta-V variable size web offset press from Muller Martini is said to enable web offset to become a cost effective alternative process for label printing and flexible packaging printing. The machine will be introduced in Grafitlia.

Labels can be manufactured on rolls, and sheet products can be produced more cost effectively in large quantities, the company promises. Print quality is said to be comparable with sheet-fed presses, and the machine features a high performance ink unit. Grafitalia, Hall 22, stands C22/D19.