Did Windmöller & Hölscher
present the future of flexo? A new approach to controlling the largest variable in flexo and gravure Heukäufer Folien ensures high quality with web guiding systems from BST eltromat
“We are looking for companies to acquire, both inside and outside of Italy” The transition into a new era: SDF as a solution to problems 1
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Vetaphone’s Vice President of Sales, Kevin McKell, gives an overview of the challenges facing converters in today’s complex and competitive marketplace, and explains the technology.
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Uteco has seen some very strong years recently and further growth prospects are expected after the deal with NB Renaissance has explained us Aldo Peretti, CEO and shareholder of Uteco Group in an exclusive interview.
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W&H welcomed more than 500 visitors at their open house vent which was held under the motto “Experience the future of flexo”. After a welcome speech the visitors were led to the newly built extrusion lab in order to take a group photo. Said group photo was then converted to a finished print job within only 3 hours. The plates were produced by Kodak in their Flexcel NX Ultra solution in less than an hour.
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From extrusion and flexo printing, all the way through to assembly – at Heukäufer Folien GmbH, based in Herten, Germany, web guiding systems from BST eltromat International play a key role in quality assurance. The web center-line guidings, with two ultrasonic sensors each, guide the webs accurately through the machines for the manufacturer of sophisticated foil bags and carrier bags.
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Manufacturing and packaging are one of the most subtle, yet sensitive parts in production. They form an integral part of production companies mainframe, as such managers take a lot of consideration into the equipments and technology used in making products. The very essence of their diligence is to make available quality products that will satisfy the consumers and foster relations with other companies.
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Reserve your place - The 2020 Media Info Kit is out now. We’ve just launched the 2020 Media Info Kit, which you can find here (insert link). We highly recommend you book your banners as soon as possible as this will be a Drupa year, meaning the demand will be higher than usual. More readers You may notice our readership has increased drastically in the last year, and we now have more than 22,000 subscribers worldwide. This is due in part to some self-marketing, but also to our stronger presence on both the European and American continents. Due to this rise in reach, we have decided to slightly increase our ad rates. Webinar Currently we are working on realizing our first Flexible Packaging Technology webinar with a renowned industry expert. Participation will be free of charge, as this serves as a testimonial. We are highly confident of attracting at least 1000 viewers. Later on, this will become another service we can offer to our customers. New USA Tour Flexible Packaging Technology is planning another tour in the USA in order to interview world class flexible packaging converters. The location isn’t set yet, but chances are it will be in Wisconsin/Illinois. Feel free to make other suggestions. This tour is planned for Q1 2020.
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Corona and Plasma – the different worlds of surface treatment When Verner Eisby invented a technique for surface treatment back in the 1950s, it was in response to growing demand for printing on the plastic packaging material that had become popular after the Second World War. Eisby’s simple but effective solution for making the ink stick without smearing became known as Corona treatment, and today is the accepted method worldwide for creating consistent performance from plastic, foil, and other non-absorbent substrates. Over the intervening years, Denmark-based Vetaphone, which is now owned and managed by Verner’s two sons Frank and Jan, has continued to pioneer surface treatment technology, and has grown as an organisation to have offices in Denmark, Thailand, China, USA, UK, Germany, Belgium and Italy, and in addition has dedicated agents in more than 60
countries around the globe. From a small beginning, the pioneers have become market leaders. The art of making it stick is all related to surface tension and the way it affects adhesion. Adhesion is any attraction process between dissimilar molecular species that can potentially bring them into direct contact. It is the tendency of dissimilar
particles or surfaces to cling to one another. Adhesive forces between a liquid and a solid cause the liquid droplet to spread across the surface - cohesive forces within the liquid cause the drop to ‘ballup’ and avoid actual contact with the surface. Wetting is the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface resulting from in-
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termolecular interactions when the two are brought together. The degree of wetting, known as ‘wettability’ is determined by a force balance between adhesive and cohesive forces, and is important in the bonding or adherence of the two materials. Wetting and the surface forces that control wetting are also responsible for the other related effects, including so-called capillary effects. Regardless of the amount of wetting, the shape of the liquid drop on a rigid surface always resembles a truncated sphere.
its long molecular chains, but these pose a problem for liquid adherence because of the infrequency of oxygen molecules that appear only at the end of each chain. It means that the liquid ‘beads-up’ because it is not wetting out properly. This is what Verner Eisby realised and set about creating a method of breaking up the long chains to create more bonding points for the liquid.
By breaking up the molecule chains, a multiplicity of open ends is created, and free valances are formed. This The strength of the is done by directing a substrate comes from high frequency electri-
cal discharge at the plastic surface from close-range. The electrons that are accelerated into the surface of the plastic simply disrupt the molecules by oxidizing it. The discharge splits the carbon molecules and breaks the oxygen into iodes, some of which enter the surface layer of the substrate and improve the bonding, while others form into ozone that needs to be extracted (see Fig 1). The new carbonyl groups created have a higher surface energy, and this improves the chemical connectivity (dyne/cm) between the liquid and the plastic. Corona treatment affects only
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the surface layer of the plastic, to a depth of 0.00001mm (or 10nm/0.01 Micron) and does not change its appearance or strength.
supplied by the generator to the transformer and subsequently on to the treating unit, every cycle is measured to ensure that the system is performing at maximum efficiency. Each transformer is matched to the electrodes supplying the discharge. It’s complex and a more expensive means of achieving Corona treatment, but consistently gives a 98% efficiency rating. Since each material treated has a different optimum frequency, this is what sets Vetaphone apart from its competitors.
Key to the success of the discharge is the maintenance of an air gap between the electrodes and the substrate that is passing underneath. Too large, and the discharge won’t jump the gap – too small and it will burn the material. An optimum gap is approximately 1.5mm and this should be checked regularly as part of routine maintenance of the Corona system. Typically, filmic materials like PP, PE-LD, PEBut the really clever HD, and BOPP part of Vetaphone Cohave a surface rona is the way that it energy of bemonitors and measures tween 29 and the discharge. The 32 dyne/cm, principle used today is but the requireexactly as Verner Eisby ments for differdeveloped it back in ent processes the 1950s and remains are higher, varunique among all Coroying from printna manufacturers. ing with solvent When the power is based inks at 40
-42 dyne/cm, to water based inks at 46-48 dyne/cm, coating at 44 -54dyne/cm, and lamination at 46-56 dyne/ cm. The ability to measure and control the discharge with a high degree of accuracy results in a consistently treated product with minimal waste. For more than 95% of applications, Corona treatment provides the perfect solution – but in special cases, where the substrate has a complex structure, and downstream processing has specific requirements, the answer will be Plasma grafting. Fundamentally the same as Corona in
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terms of the electric discharge disrupting the molecule chains on the surface of the substrate, Plasma is more complex in that it is carried out in a controlled environment and not in ambient air. By enclosing the process in a sealed chamber and introducing Nitrogen, the Oxygen molecules are dispelled to allow a finely controlled process that can be tuned to allow different proportions of Amine, Amide and Imide, depending on the application intended. Take printing for example: with LDPE Corona will cater for solvent, UV and water-based inks up to a level of 55 dyne/cm, and similarly will be sufficient for PET. But PP and BOPP will require Plasma treatment for UV and water-based inks because Corona will only treat to 47 dyne/cm and 42 dyne/cm respectively.
For lamination, Corona works well up to 47 dyne/cm, but Plasma raises the bar to 57 dyne/cm and Advanced Plasma to 61 dyne/cm. Likewise, for extrusion, where the durability of dyne level is critical, material treated with Corona will decline from 46 dyne/cm when treated to 32 dyne/cm in a matter of months. Figures for Plasma show a drop from 56 dyne/cm to 46 dyne/cm over a similar period, but Advanced Plasma grafting continues to hold a level of 60 dyne/cm for many years.
es a different method, and while the Corona process relies on the ‘free’ ambient air, Plasma requires far more investment in the technology and consumables (gas) that are required to make it work. In cost terms, work on a factor of 8 times for Plasma over Corona – so the application needs to be very specialised and profitable to justify the extra investment. But whichever is right for you, Vetaphone technology is at the forefront, where it has always been since Verner Eisby invented surface treatment 68 years So, which is better, Coago and built a unique rona or Plasma? The business as market answer is they are not leader. directly comparable! Effectively the only similarity is that they are both surface treatment techniques, but each us-
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“We are looking for companies to acquire, both inside and outside of Italy” “Uteco has seen some very strong years recently and further growth prospects are expected after the deal with NB Renaissance,” Aldo Peretti, CEO and shareholder of Uteco Group explains in an exclusive interview.
How did Uteco per- ures and factors of opform in 2018 in terms eration for the acquisiof sales, machinery tion. built and general growth? At the Print4All ConUteco’s 2018 results inference in March dicated quality leader2019 you mentioned ship in the main busiNB Renaissance inness, including flexo, vested money in gravure and digital Uteco in order for printing. We maintained you to grow through good results in terms of business and acquisiprofitability better tion. than market standard. Given the acquisition, Yes, that’s correct. We the official balance are evaluating 3 or 4 sheet has been delayed small to medium wellfor a few months. This known Italian compawill outline financial fig- nies, along with oppor-
tunities outside of Italy. We see a real benefit in moving from our previous Italian stakeholders, who were more interested in estate business, to international industrial investors who will bring more opportu-
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nities and contacts in the sector worldwide. For instance, I met with Novamont a few weeks ago - they are also part of the NB Renaissance holding. Novamont is one of the most advanced research and development companies in the field of bio plastics.
plant will cater to special machines as well, such as coating and laminating, and there will be some units for flexo. We will integrate this into our global plan, paying special attention to growth in the number of machines for both gravure and laminating.
You just finished building a fourth factory. Is this solely for manufacturing gravure lines?
What do you see happening next – a fifth factory or an acquisition?
No, this is a plan to support our growth in terms of the number of machines produced. Part of this growth is linked to gravure as the layout of these machines is bigger and therefore needs more space. But the fourth
I could say an acquisition, but it depends on the market. We aim to continue growing in a range of areas (sales, market share, new markets and new technology), but acquisition is definitely one main target.
At the Print4All Press Conference you mentioned the stock exchange. Where do you see the benefits? The stock exchange is only one of a number of possible options for growth. Another option is integration with bigger groups, but we will see. The stock exchange is definitely an opportunity, not because we need the money, but because it allows us to create a stronger presence in the global market.
Probably the biggest market for you is North America. What is your strategy for this market? We have already doubled the size of our service and technology center located in
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Kennesaw, Georgia. Our focus has been on customization, in order to meet the needs of the North American market. We have doubled the space for spare parts because our aim is to be the number one supplier of machines in the U.S and Canada. Furthermore, we have installed a Crystal 808 printing press which is available for demos and training. This further demonstrates our
commitment to the North American Market. We currently have 500 installations in North America. We are implementing a rotation on which we will present our product line, from flexo printing presses to coating and lamination, and digital as well.
enced interesting sales growth in all countries. There are political issues currently affecting business in some countries. Some companies are only selling in specific markets, while others are waiting for a resolution in terms of the political and economic situation.
We are also strong in the Latin American market, with approxi- Are you referring to mately 500 machines Argentina and Brathere. We have experi- zil?
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Yes, but we have sold machines in many Latin American countries, including Chile and other emerging countries. Latin America is a very contrasting and diverse market, as some countries are emerging and seeking new investment opportunities, while others are experiencing economic crisis. Anyhow, it’s indeed an important target and we expect good growth rates in the future as markets such as Mexico and Colombia are growing at a reasonable rate.
tomer service and support is something we take very seriously and we will continue to offer our customers the highest quality support possible. In recent years we have become one of the leaders in North America with 50% of the market share. We also have 8 agents in Latin America and an additional 50 agents worldwide. Some agents cover multiple countries.
Uteco recently had an agents’ meeting in Colombia. What is your strategy for this How many people market? work for Uteco in We consider Latin North America? America a very imWe have a full staff, in portant market. We fact, more than 10 usually organize agents’ technicians service our meetings in Europe, but American Customers. this special event was Customer service is ex- held in Colombia at the tremely important in same time as a seminar the USA market and and open house of one this has been a strength of our best customers. of ours that has sup- It became a very imported our growth. Cus- portant promotional
tool, allowing us to showcase our machines’ performance and discuss new technology. Given the success of the presentation, we will duplicate this format and hold seminars tailored to important customers.
Many manufacturers are currently looking at Asian markets. What’s your growth strategy? We are following the increasing demand for flexo in Asia. But we don’t want to extend our market with low level machines - we prefer to follow the increasing demand for higher technology, largely found in the west. We want to remain an important player for flexo, but also for coating and laminating: a flexo machine, the Diamond, was recently installed in China, a very advanced laminating
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machine in Pakistan and a top digital machine in Japan. Furthermore, rotogravure machines were installed in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. We are present in the market at the top level, and we will continue to be.
For us, digital will never replace analogue technologies like flexo. We offer digital to ensure our customers have the right product to meet their demand, and sometimes our customers (for example big brand owners or food and beverage providers) need it for short runs or What can we expect special marketing camin terms of digital paigns. (eg. double speed, spot colours)? What are you going I’m sure you remember to present at Drupa? the expectations many years ago from all over We will present somethe market regarding thing unique and special the considerable growth for each of the followof digital. We prefer to ing: flexo, gravure, not make claims, but coating and laminating, continue to provide top- and digital. Stay tuned! performing machines. The speed will be the same as it has been Recycling is a big topic since the beginning. We in many markets and is will continue to work in predicted to have a big flexo, gravure, coating impact on laminating. and laminating, and dig- You are testing barrier ital, and will share our adhesives to replace experience in terms of one laminating layer? transportation of film and different drying We are following two technology for hybrid major trends in laminatadvanced applications. ing that are linked to each other. Together with an important adhe-
sives supplier, we are carrying out tests on recycling all laminating products. The process is based on the lamination of a PP Alox film with a PP cast film that is suitable for weldability with a special high barrier adhesive. The two films have the same chemical formulation, creating a monostructure that can be recycled. The new adhesive formulation has the ability to raise the barrier property and maintain it over time once smeared. The second trend is the process of delaminate; separating two laminated materials that are different in structure. We are proceeding with laboratory testing and cooperating with recycling plants in order to industrialize this process.
You don’t have the cooperation with Kohli anymore? Our cooperation with Kohli was more a product of the media than reality. We worked with them to develop entry-
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level machinery for the Indian and other Asian markets, and we sold a few of them. Now we are concentrating on our own target of producing top performing rotogravure machines and there is no competition or ill will between us.
wide. Germany was the first to mention 4.0 and the first to implement it. Uteco, as the representative for the Machine Manufacturers Association, and the Italian government, have developed an important plan to provide financial support (eg. reduction of payment) to encourage older Italian users to develop their automization processes and data management. This has been successful in bridging the gap so far.
what from it, as all Italian industry will, through being more connected. Highways and high-speed railways will allow this. We already have a strong relationship with China and are planning to have a strong Uteco presences via a local headquarters there in the future.
You recently presented the SQL system and have already installed it for 3 customers. What is the purpose of that? Can The increased demand you tell me about the for global integration advantages of using means a lot of work for that system? us in terms of updating There are two emerging software and customizrequests from the mar- ing applications. ket: 1. More automization – clients are wanting to integrate our software with their own global data management. We have developed and installed the SQL system for this reason.
Italy is now part of the Chinese Belt and Roads initiative. How do you think a company like Uteco can benefit from this, or will it have zero effect?
2. More global demand We started business in for industry 4.0 – This is China many years behappening especially in fore this development. Italy, but also worldWe will benefit some-
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“Experience the future of flexo” W&H welcomed more than 500 visitors to their open house event, which was held under the motto “Experience the future of flexo.” After a welcome speech by Peter Steinbeck (CSO), and presentations by Hermann Veismann (General Manager Business Unit Printing and Finishing), visitors were led to the newly-built extrusion lab for a group photo. Said group photo was then converted to a finished print job within only 3 hours. The plates were produced by Kodak in their Flexcel NX Ultra solution in less than an hour. MIRAFLEX II
tral loading and unloading area. According to In total, W&H sells the German machine about 200 printing builder, it is the ideal presses a year. By far solution for smaller their best-selling maspaces, as it measures chine is the MIRAFLEX only 14 meters in in its various variations. length, which is about More than 650 presses 4.5 meters shorter than have been sold so far. the MIRAFLEX II with a Next, a new configura- dual-port design. tion was presented to The design significantly the visitors of the open reduces the overall roll house: a MIRAFLEX II processing time and in a compact single-port saves customers time configuration. With a because both winders face-to-face winder can be operated simulconfiguration, the ma- taneously by just one chine has only one cen- operator. In addition to
the operator advantages, the web path of the press has also been shortened. The results are faster job changes and less waste. In addition, the singleport solution can easily be upgraded with a downstream inline flexo or gravure printing unit. All in all, the MIRAFLEX II Single-Port is ideally suited to short jobs, its compact design fits into almost any production environment and it can be quickly and easily
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expanded with extra printing modules. NOVOFLEX II The highlight of the open house was the launch of the NOVOFLEX II. With a speed of up to 800 m/min it promises maximum productivity through high performance and fast job changes. According to Hermann Veismann, it is the new benchmark for sideloaded sleeve machines. All printing unit components are easily accessible for sleeve changes. Automatic bearings and sleeve ejection systems ensure ergonomic, fast and reliable sleeve changes. At the touch of a button, the bearings automatically move to the change position. The sleeves or adapters are pushed out for easy removal by the operator. The operator is twice as fast compared to manual changes. After the sleeve has been changed, the bearings close and lock automatically.
The satellite configuration and the design of the printing unit enables it to run critical jobs at high speeds with little to no bouncing. Furthermore, the configuration enables im-
proved ink transfer with identical results for every printing deck. This makes it more suitable for HD jobs. The printing unit is particularly rigid to minimize bouncing. Generously dimen-
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sioned bearings of the anilox rollers and format cylinders and a small center distance minimize deflection and vibration influences. The NOVOFLEX II can be equipped with automation and assistance systems to suit customer requirements. The EASY modules, for example, allow proofing in 90 seconds. With the fully integrated VISION quality assurance system, developed internally by W&H, the operator can control the print production process at a central control panel. The press is also equipped with a newlydesigned doctor blade chamber system. It includes the new TURBOSEAL sealing system with significantly longer replacement intervals for the lateral seals. Even with abrasive inks and high printing speeds, TURBOSEAL offers longer seal life and increased safety. So far, W&H has assembled 3 new NOVOFLEX II, of which 2 were delivered to carefully selected printers. Further
installations will follow soon, as W&H received very positive feedback from many sides during and after the open house.
one AQUAREX and one OPTIMEX FFS. The extrusion lab is 90 meters long, 44 meters wide and 25 meters high. The height is necessary as both VAREX II lines Technology Centre (5 and 11 layers respectively) are 18 meW&H is determined to ters high. build the biggest tech- In addition to the technology center in our in- nology center, W&H is dustry, measuring more also building a new than 10,000 sq m in to- manufacturing site for tal. The new printing GARANT, the specialists lab is still under confor paper bag machines struction, but is sched- in the W&H Group. uled to be operational by October 2019. The Digital Services extrusion lab is finished and can house up to 6 New digital technologies blown film lines and 2 will facilitate customer cast lines. Currently support in the future. there are 4 lines inThe W&H Information stalled; two VAREX II, and Diagnostics Center
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(IDC) demonstrated the use of digital data glasses during live troubleshooting: A customer who needs technical support puts on the headset with integrated camera and connects to an expert from the IDC. The expert sees everything the customer sees in real time and can help him quickly and easily. In the medium term, the digital services will be used in both service support and training. This enables W&H to make their service even simpler, faster and more convenient for their customers.
event "Experience the Future of Flexo." More than 500 international visitors from around the world attended this activity. Highlights were their new lines: NOVOFLEX II, operating with maximum productivity through high performance and fast job changes, and MIRAFLEX II as a single-port flexographic printing press ideal for smaller production spaces. We talked to Markus Bauschulte, Technical Sales Director Business Unit Printing and Finishing at W&H about the exciting day and the innovative machine features.
More about the technology center and other Mr. Bauschulte, let’s topics in the following talk about your open expert interview. house! What were the visitors’ reactions to your presented solutions? Expert Interview The customer feedback W&H presents their in- was amazing! The main novative new machine event and highlight was lines: NOVOFLEX II and the presentation of our MIRAFLEX II. new NOVOFLEX II, with In March, machine its focus on high printmanufacturer Windmöl- ing quality, enormous ler & Hölscher (W&H) flexibility, speed and hosted their open house advanced handling ben-
efits. In addition, we showed the ready-toprint ultra plates from our partner KODAK FLEXCEL to provide a practical example and enable the visitors to experience the whole process for themselves. In the morning we took a group photo of all the guests. Just a few hours later, the image was printed on our NOVOFLEX II at maximum speed. That was thrilling for all participants! The quality of the picture on the new machine was fantastic, as was the completion time of the printing plates – a perfect wow effect! We accelerated the machine from zero to 600 m/min with perfect consistent print quality in the design image. Some customers didn’t even realize the machine was already running. That's how quiet it is. Not only quality and speed are crucial, but also handling – another focus of the NOVOFLEX II. We presented our new doctor blade chamber, which has been redesigned to increase
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machine uptime and speed on difficult designs. It includes automatic positioning that is independent from the operator. Customers were really curious, and we were able to directly show those new features on our machine.
PO in Lengerich during K 2019. Which solutions provide NOVOFLEX II with a vibration-free run?
The keys to the high rigidity of the NOVOFLEX II are two new technologies: “Space Frame” What is the current and “Center Force.” The situation regarding Space Frame technoloyour technology cen- gy considerably reduces ter? the bearing distance between the drive and opOur extrusion-center erating side, thus counhas been completed – teracting the resulting several extrusion lines shaft deflection. Further have been installed al- improvements are ready. By the way, this achieved by the Center is the place the aforeForce technology, in mentioned group picwhich the inking units ture was taken! Building are optimally aligned to of the printing technolo- the center of the imgy center is also nearly pression cylinder. This finished. In it we will install several flexoprinting machines as well as gravure lines: First the NOVOFLEX II will be installed, followed by the gravure printing press HELIOSTAR II S. Construction was completed at the end of July, so that first printing machine can be presented in the new location at our in-house show EX-
results in identical forces and therefore 100% predictable print results in each printing deck. Part of this technology is a revolutionary new printing deck design. Full-size automatic bearing blocks combined with additional linear guides, bigger bearing diameters and the all-new hydropneumatic deck clamping system result in outstanding stability and reduced mechanical tolerance. For the NOVOFLEX II we looked at everything and improved all the big and small topics, from the fundamental printing deck construction for increased stability to reducing set-up times
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and waste. All these advancements make the NOVOFLEX II a unique machine, not only in terms of quality, but also with regards to Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). What is so special about your new doctor blade chamber design? In addition to the wellknown pressure-free execution of the doctor blade chamber, the geometry has been optimized to counteract typical challenges, such as air inclusions and ghosting effects. The chamber ink volume has been reduced by 40%, creating a positive effect on the cleaning results and therefore reducing the cleaning time during wash-ups. All in all, a higher printing speed is reached, and the new design shortens machine changeover times. What makes the TURBOSEAL System superior to other solutions?
The new sealing system has significantly longer replacement intervals for the lateral doctor blade seals, even with abrasive inks and higher printing speeds. It is a patented and almost contactless sealing method, therefore the continuous search for better material is not necessary anymore. Field tests have shown that down times, cleaning times and material waste are decreased considerably.
Requests for higher printing speeds exist, but these are usually for special products or specific applications. In general, these highspeed requests ask for special solutions, not just on the printing press, but also for every other part of the product line such as ink, anilox, substrate and printing form. Considering all these aspects, W&H will provide individual machine design solutions to match customer speed requests Why is the maximum above 800m/min. speed of NOVOLFEX II no more than 800 Will those innovative m/min? NOVOFLEX II solutions also be availaDue to the declining or- ble in future for MIder sizes in the general RAFLEX or flexible packaging mar- VISTAFLEX? ket, most customers ask for machine speeds At the moment those between 400-800m/ are special NOVOFLEX min. An over-specified II solutions. Most of and unutilized printing them, like the bearing machine will have a technology, are not easnegative result on over- ily adaptable for other all production costs and machine set-ups. Of therefore it is very im- course, the MIRAFLEX II portant to select the and the VISTAFLEX will correct printing speed continue to be a vital for production require- part of our portfolio and ments. we will continue to ad-
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vance both product families. How many installations of NOVOFLEX II have been sold and what figures do you expect? Launch was this March and we have already sold 10 machines (with 800m/min). Next year we will introduce the NOVOFLEX II L, which includes 1250mm with 8 and 10 colors – therefore we expect a further boost. And of course, we are looking forward to Drupa 2020 – always a highlight that creates momentum for the whole industry. Visitors can expect an update on our latest development project in digital printing for flexible packaging – but we cannot tell you more right now. Regarding MIRAFLEX II: Why do not all machines include the space and material saving single-port technology? The layout (single-port or dual-port) really de-
pends on the existing infrastructure at customer sites. Most production sites still use central material logistics around the machines and for those companies, the classic dualport machine layout makes the most sense. A single-port machine on the other hand needs other processes and material logistics. Inserting a solitary single-port machine into an infrastructure optimized for dual-port may not be efficient. The single-port version often comes into play when space restrictions do not allow a dual-port installation. And of course, when a completely new facility is built. Single-port is a valid option for the efficient use of production space. Beside the space advantage, the singleport machine layout offers the possibility to easily retrofit a downstream application (flexo or gravure) unit later. This flexibility gives customers the chance to quickly adapt
their product portfolio to new market trends. The available reel diameter is 800 and 1000mm, whereas 1300mm would equal the construction of the Dual-Port.
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Heukäufer Folien ensures the high quality of its flexible packaging with web guiding systems from BST eltromat From extrusion and flexo printing, all the way through to assembly – at Heukäufer Folien GmbH, based in Herten, Germany, web guiding systems from BST eltromat International play a key role in quality assurance. The web center-line guidings, with two ultrasonic sensors each, guide the webs accurately through the machines for the manufacturer of sophisticated foil bags and carrier bags.
“Thanks to their high quality requirements, Heukäufer Folien, provider of flexible packaging solutions, was the ideal partner to test our FVG POS 100 sensor positioner and ekr 500 digital Unit Touch controller in practical use,” says Kai Prahl, Area Sales Manager at BST eltromat, looking back on autumn 2017. At that time, the company Heukäufer Folien was asked to conduct a beta
test of the brand new technology. “The web guiding system on our mono-extruder had seen better days, so the inquiry came at just the right time,” says Managing Director of Heukäufer Folien, Kurt Barth. At the turn of the year, the company began using the US 2010type sensor positioner, equipped with two ultrasonic sensors, and the innovative controller.
“To be on the safe side, we initially left the old technology in the mono -extruder. BST eltromat installed a switch for us, so that we could activate the old web guiding system again at any time,” says Peter Schubert, technical director at Heukäufer Folien. After all, the 24-hour operation of this extruder with a comparatively high ambient temperature was seen as the ultimate test for the new
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technology. The switch was not needed. Both the FVG POS 100, developed specially for wide webs, and the ekr 500 digital Unit Touch functioned flawlessly from the very beginning.
the intuitive menu navigation of the controller. The startup also ran smoothly. “We assembled the components of the new web guiding according to the plug & play principle. The components then automatically rec“When changing web ognized one another.” widths, the sensor positioner automatically Quality assurance is moves the sensors to more important than the web edge and posi- ever tions the webs accordWhether it’s in the ing to the measurefruit, vegetables, froment results provided zen foods, animal feed by the sensors,” says or gardening sector, Schubert, commending customer demands for how easy it is to set up high-quality, functional the system. “This enand environmentally sures that the webs friendly flexible packare fed centrally aging are rising conthrough the extruder.” stantly. Up to 100% reThe intuitive color LC cyclable raw materials, touch display of the ekr smaller bag formats 500 digital Unit Touch, and thinner foils – with the innovative ekr Heukäufer Folien is excommander, shows the ploiting every technical web position, the senpossibility to reduce sor covers and the pothe use of materials in sition of the actuator its packaging producwith easily readable tion. Thanks to web graphics and symbols. guiding systems from Schubert attests to BST eltromat, quality “considerably increased assurance has continuuser-friendliness” in
ally grown in importance amidst the sometimes competing demands of quality, functionality, economy and sustainability. “In extrusion, the rolls have to be wound neatly – an important condition for high quality in flexo printing,” says Barth. The printing machines are equipped with swivel roller guides after rewinding and pivoting frames before printing. Both web guiding systems enable off-center operation, which prevents the rollers from being worn down. In addition, older Premius web monitoring systems from BST eltromat are installed in the flexo printing machines to inspect static printing defects.
Throughout the manufacture, the web guiding systems ensure that the bags and banderoles are precisely overlaid, including the edge strips. Four of the
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machines and one slitter have been retrofitted with the latest technology from BST eltromat. Thanks to the compact design and easy plug & play format of the systems, the retrofit was not technically challenging. For example, in the slitter, a CLS Pro 600 digital sensor efficiently supports the precise cutting of the parent rolls into banderoles by using a color sensor to scan line and contrast edges on the printed foils. The automatically controlled LED lighting guarantees optimum lighting conditions.
gy from BST eltromat meets all our requirements for today.” For the FVG POS 100 and ekr 500 digital Unit Touch, as well as for the CLS Pro 600 and the ekr 500 digital controllers in the machines, only brief instructions were needed for the machine operators to be able to work with the new technology.
low-maintenance electrical systems consume little energy and minimize waste, both in the production and conversion of foils. “BST eltromat is an important partner with whom we are in constant discussion regarding how we can further optimize our processes and so offer our customers even better products,” says Barth, summarizing the This also supports the significance of the partenvironmental goals of nership between the Heukäufer Folien: The two companies.
Quick job changeovers As at many packaging manufacturers, batch sizes for Heukäufer Folien have become smaller and smaller. More than ever, the company therefore needs technology that is easy to set up. Schubert: “Thanks to its easy configuration and operation, the new technolo-
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The transition into a new era: Smart Digital Flexo as a solution to problems Manufacturing and packaging are one of the most subtle, yet sensitive parts in production. They form an integral part of production companies mainframe, as such managers take a lot of consideration into the equipments and technology used in making products. The very essence of their diligence is to make available quality products that will satisfy the consumers and foster relations with other companies. The advancement of technology has improved a lot of things in manufacturing and packaging, from the reduction in run lengths to the sophistication of the products. Therefore, companies have no other choice than to follow the trend to make quality products. One of such trends is the adoption of Smart Digital Flexo. Consequently, about two years ago Dutch packaging printer VIV had to make a decision in order to cope with the trend of shorter run lengths. Like many other companies, they investigated digital printing as an option, but at the end decided for a new wide web flexo press dedicated to ex-
panded gamut printing, or as they call it Smart Digital Flexo. Now, they convert the second printing press to Smart Digital Flexo (SDF). This form of printing entails a lot of detailing and intricacies in its processes. To fully appreciate the shift of many companies focus to SDF, Weinand Van Kesteren,
the director of VIV believes that SDF is the ticket to becoming a leader in the production of quality packaging in short runs. Smart Digital Flexo Flexo printing has proven to become an integral part of VIV future strategy, with several attempts being made
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for beef up the processes and end result. Smart Digital Flexo (or extended gamut printing) is able to achieve ca 90% of all pantone colors, saving companies the stress related to spot colours. Furthermore, it affords the luxuries of saving time, cost and materials. The ease that comes with the adoption of the SDF is incredible, it also allows for smart combination of different Jobs, also known as gang jobs or mixed jobs.
ers. "They are the biggest fans of SDF, it is very easy for them". However, there is no new trend in business that doesn't come with some form of speculation.
The first steps into the new technology The shift from using spot colours to extended gamut printing will cause a bit of stare in the public eye. Inevitably, the customers will
In a previous interview with the director of VIV, Weinand Van Kesteren and his brother Herman, the brothers exemplify the perks of switching over to SDF. According to Weinand, through SDF "we aim to offer our customers shorter turn around times at sharper prices�. The processes involved in using SDF is so seamless that they both recognize the satisfaction of the design-
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be a bit sceptical of the viability of such process. "Designers deliver the design in pantone colors so the customers don't have to change it." While this is understandable on the path of those customers, Weinand goes on to emphasize an important fact, "We will use SDF. But if it doesn't meet their requirements, we'll do it in pantone. The cost will be for us". According to the bothers, no customer has rejected SDF after they saw the results. They thoroughly like it because VIV will present the proof and match the expectations of the customers. Consequently, it took VIV more than a year to fill their new wide web Comexi with enough jobs for SDF. VIV explains the gradual phase of tapping into the new technology, "they are at 60 - 65% of jobs on the machines with SDF new
jobs". The other percentage remaining are spot colored or simple jobs like CMYK jobs. In addition to this, the conversion of a second wide web flexo press (also Comexi, like all of VIV’s presses) to SDF proved to be the right way to go as one of the reasons for doing so was the Inside and Outside print. In using SDF, there is a color range that helps the processes work better. Depending on what you want to do, there is a color range with a low volume and high volume. Weinand explains the modalities of this color range, "big screen on the plates will require high volume which is better for the color range". If you have 48, you use a higher volume, you can make mix for the pantone colors in 42. In the area of screening, some distinction has to be made to really appreciate what SDF brings and why VIV en-
joys it so much. "Screening is AM, FM is for highlighted spots while for the mix, AM is better". Weinand continued his explanation by stating, "if you print with FM you have HD but there is a problem with the support dot which has not been fixed". Another glance into the first steps of adopting this new technology will be on the downtime. The downtime when using SDF has reduced significantly. In addition to saving time, customers are assured a reduction in downtime by 60%. The proofing and the end result lie close to each other, so the customers and printers can see how the work looks. As usual, there are always some form of difficulty in adopting a fresh technique, solution or technology in business. What is most important is identifying the issues and properly
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tackling it. In the case of VIV the major challenge in the adoption of SDF was the color. The intensity of the colors drops except the highlight is compromised, until then it becomes very difficult to print.
Current situation and future plans Consistency is key in any process, business and sphere of life. It is a exemplary quality to have as individuals and as a company. VIV bears this in mind as they know Aniloxes play a very important role in the SDF process. To get the SDF working at optimum level, one will need a consistent and predictable ink transfer. Hence, the partnership with Apex international and their GTT anilox rollers. Weinand talks about the significance of GTT Anilox in the interview by confidently claiming, "we have tested different anilox but
GTT was chosen for constant volume. GTT is the best for this system". In examining the current situation of the inks, Weinand makes mention to having Uper and Flint as some of the inks available in the company, "we have tested all the inks, there is no difference between them". Doctor blades are also very significant in the SDF process. They help to remove the excess ink from the smooth nonengraved portions of the image carrier and the land areas of the cell walls. For doctor blades, "ceramics are
used for the old and new one... The chance of scratching is limited", says Herman. According to him, VIV had tested with plastic in the past but after a year ceramics has proven to be better for longer runs. Ecograph, a Swiss company is the manufacturer of these doctor blades. Short run jobs differ in markets, as countries may have different run times for their machines. VIV for instance has the shortest New job at 25 kg while the shortest repeat jobs is 100. When it is laminated, it is 1500m for digital. This is for mixed job
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(some may call it gang job). VIV can do five mixed jobs if they have the same repeat. All the machines have the same twin locks but the downside, the anilox, was not possible for all the machines because of the size of the machines. "They (the machines) run on 400, others run on 250 - 300 when on 2000 metres. Two jobs can sit conveniently on one machine as the weight is 490 for 800g.
Conclusively, It is evident that VIV is on their way to becoming a leader in the production of quality packaging. They also have a big project coming up which is a 24 packaging innovative for pet foods. The vision is getting more distinct, as SDF has helped to solidly their claim to being at the very top. Customers are gradually warming up to this new technology. Why shouldn't they? It saves time, money and reAdditionally, the aversources. age color of SDF Jobs is 5-6 never 7 colors. "We VIV boasts of customdon't need Violet, Or- ers from Sweden ange, Green , if you (Ekas), Denmark, Belprint on one machine gium and other Europeyou must change the an customers. They alcolor section". Herman so deliver at a Dutch also goes on to explain company and export the new developments their products to other in the company as they companies. don't mind getting a ten color machine, laser cleaners, cones, Crystal XPS from Esko. These materials are on the company's wish list.
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