Steinemann Technology AG, St. Gallen/Switzerland, has launched the latest generation of its SYRIUS laminating system. The new system is available in a cost attractive basic version that can be flexibly expanded with a host of innovative options to create a high-performance production system for covering every need of the laminating market.
"The market for laminated print products is extremely diverse, and so are the demands of printers and finishing providers on laminating systems. The new SYRIUS generation from Steinemann Technology caters to the growing range of different demands of today's and tomorrow's market," says Jürg Spittler, Head of the Business Unit Graphic at Steinemann Technology.
The latest generation is based on the 'SYRIUS Thermal' for thermal laminating at a production speed of 100 m per minute or 10,000 sheets per hour, and the 'SYRIUS Trade' for water-based and thermal laminating. For the 'SYRIUS Trade', Steinemann Technology offers a very attractively priced 'Trade Plus Package' that enables the machine's production speed to be increased to 80 m/min for water-based laminating. This add-on package additionally encompasses a pneumatic lateral pull guide, the 'Hot Knife' cutting system for exact cutting of all types of film, and an automatic stacker.
Although the range of performance features is comprehensive to start with, both the 'SYRIUS Thermal' and the 'SYRIUS Trade' offer a diverse selection of innovative options, functions and technologies to expand it even further. As a result, the machines can be adapted to suit individual market requirements. Says Spittler: "For cost reasons, printers often fall back on the second-hand machine market, or they buy inflexible, cheap models if they want to expand their service portfolio to include laminating. With its latest generation of the SYRIUS, Steinemann Technology now offers them a very attractive alternative for this purpose, one that is based on highly innovative technologies and comes with a full performance guarantee."
The new-generation SYRIUS comes with a sheet feeder featuring the latest printing press technology and a higher degree of automation. The new sheet feeder greatly reduces makeready times, even if the stack quality is poor. The sheet cleaning technology is also new. Steinemann Technology now offers a choice of calender and brush options for the new SYRIUS, including electrostatically charged brushes. On the one hand, clean sheets ensure maximum laminating quality; on the other hand, the amount of adhesive can be significantly reduced, thereby saving substantial costs.
Another highlight is the new, very compact carbon drier technology for water-based laminating. It permits higher production speeds, while at the same time significantly reducing energy consumption. The temperature of the laminating rollers can be set independently of the hot-air drier, enabling thin papers to be laminated fast and in top quality.
The legendary Super Hot Knife, developed by Steinemann Technology, has also been further improved. Two additional cutting rollers shorten the adjusting times of the knife, even for the thinnest papers. Moreover, the new Super Hot Knife is the ideal solution for cutting metallised polyester films at maximum production speed. Automatic axial cut correction is also available as an option to guarantee perfect stack quality, even in the event of misaligned sheets during unsupervised operation.
To even further enhance the productivity of the SYRIUS range, Steinemann Technology has developed software that allows the machine to be set offline. As a result, jobs can already be set up prior to job preparation, and the data of previous jobs can be accessed for repeat orders. Integration in production control and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems is possible.
The SYRIUS machines of the latest generation are of an even more compact design than the predecessor models. Thanks to a significantly smaller length and height, the new SYRIUS can even be installed in very confined spaces.
The SYRIUS laminates sheet formats from 420 mm x 297 mm to a maximum of 1,060 mm x 1,450 mm and paper weights from 100 g/m² to 600 g/m². The machine is equally flexible when it comes to the laminating films that can be used: it processes all common film types in thicknesses of 10 µm to 100 µm. These laminating films can optionally be glossy, matte, coloured, transparent or metallised, and even contain holograms. Another highlight of the new SYRIUS: it now also processes certified biodegradable film materials.
