Flexo press manufacturer Tresu has launched a web-fed flexo printing and multi-process finishing concept for speciality packaging products. The Flexo Innovator series provides an open, modular platform for the building of complete, uniquely configured production lines. This provides a high-performance, single-pass alternative to labour-intensive sheet-fed printing situations.
The Flexo Innovator series has maximum flexibility in configuration. It includes any number of flexo units, and specially configured hot-air drying or curing units for virtually all ink types, custom-engineered and assembled at the Tresu factory. There are three width options within the Flexo Innovator series to suit a range of different applications. These include the FI 900, accommodating widths up to 900mm, the FI 1100 (widths up to 1100mm) 1100mm and the FI 1300 (1300 mm). Flexo Innovator's technology also assures precise registration throughout the print run, high-end regulating web tension control technology, rigid design for minimising vibrations, resulting in very high stability throughout the printing process.
The open platform of Flexo Innovator can be built to include custom-designed cold foil, die-cutting, laminating, embossing, rotary screen and rotogravure technology from leading partners, and cutting options, such as rotary sheeting, that combine economy and performance benefits.
The first of these machines, the FI 1100, has been built at Tresu's production plant in Kolding, Southern Denmark, and will be used for sample production, demonstrations and testing for the development of new applications. FI 1100 achieves speeds of up to 400m/min (optional 600m/min) and offers repeat sizes ranging from 450mm to 1060mm. It also features front and reverse side printing stations to provide a single-pass print / converting solution folding carton, paper, unsupported film, laminates and aluminium products, among others.
The Flexo Innovator is a product of Tresu Concept, a division of the company that provides bespoke single-pass printing and processing lines for special packaging products. This engineering and integration service enables board converters adopt leaner, modular, high-performance web-fed production alternatives to sheet-fed situations that have traditionally required separate several processes and much manual input.
The new Concept division focuses on roll-to-roll, and roll-to-sheet or roll-to- die cutting manufacturing lines. This provides a leaner, faster manufacturing alternative for numerous paper and board printing applications that traditionally have been produced by sheet-fed process. Enabling a switch to higher speed web-fed lines in which several added value operations are completed in a single pass, saves make-ready time and manual input requirements, and simplifies logisitics.
Kim-Regin Sustmann, head of Tresu Concept, comments: "Flexo Innovator finally makes lean manufacturing an option in high-end package converting. The Flexo Innovator series combines precision flexo engineering capabilities with our expertise as a proven integration partner to provide a lean, single process manufacturing solution for a host of high-end packaging products."
