Omet opens window on developments

Founded in his garage by Angelo Bartesaghi in 1963, Omet is now a high technology company with over 160 employees manufacturing narrow web presses and tissue converting machines. To mark its 40th anniversary in November, the company held a three-day open house culminating in the official inauguration of a new Technology Centre. A new three-storey building totaling 2,000m² has been constructed next to the factory in Lecco, where the business and technical offices will be located. The new facility on the ground floor is a permanent showroom of 600m² for the demonstration of Omet flexo presses.

"Due to strong expansion in nearly all markets, new space is now necessary to be able to manage our business efficiently," explains business manager Marco Calcagni. "We realize how important it is to have a showroom available to give our customers a direct view of what's new . Our machines deserve to be seen live, while they are running. Only in this way is it possible to see the quality of print, the technology, the innovative solutions, and the exceptional performance.

Demonstrations

"There's nothing better than having a wide exhibition space available, where demonstrations can be made and where it is possible to ascertain the technological progress Omet is bringing to the converting and printing sector," he emphasized. "The success of the open houses organized throughout the past two years to present our latest machines lies in the possibility of a deep dialogue with the customer, which usually translates into sales. For this reason we have great expectations for our demo centre. "It will become a window on our developments: a permanent point of reference for our customers."

During the open house event, over 120 visitors to the new technology centre saw demos of the Flexy and Varyflex narrow web flexo presses. Both machines are said to have aroused interest by combining print quality with rapidity of job change. In particular, on the same day, the Varyflex printed both thin film and cartonboard without any changes in the machine configuration.

This model features sleeve, gearless and shaftless technology. Omet claims to have been one of the first manufacturers with the concept of a machine with completely independent motors in line for formats from 16-26in, with infinite repeatability from 11-33in. The result is reduced start-up times, consequent waste reduction, and "above all, great print quality on substrates that before seemed unthinkable on a flexo machine", according to the company.

Originally a label press, the Flexy has been developed to allow printing on board and now plastics film for packaging. The narrow web (10-16in) machine offers UV drying on drums, motorized phasing on print and die cut, register control, magnetic hot foil, and a peel and seal unit. These features can also be retrofitted on existing presses.

Some 100 representatives of napkin manufacturers from around the world also attended the open house. Their interest was in the Niagara, an 'eight-way' machine for high volume production, which was demonstrated making single ply, four colour napkins at 10,000/min. Also new was the TV 840 system for production of bulk packs. It will produce and pack one-ply napkins - 500 or 600 pieces in packs with dimensions up to 700mm.

Another innovation was the SP 502 unit for production of embossed paper plate mats printed flexo in one or more colours (it was demonstrated printing four). Advantages over existing machines are said to include high cutting and stacking speeds, and output of mats in perfectly counted and homogeneous piles, thanks to a special automatic separating device. The products can be transferred directly to a packaging machine. The SP 502 can operate independently or as an additional unit on an existing folding machine.