Danish flexo technology provider Tresu Group has introduced
a customised flexo printing solution for integration into a water-soluble
detergent pouch filling and converting line.
Developed in collaboration with a large global consumer goods
manufacturer with plants at several locations, the new integration solution
enables household detergent manufacturers to comply with a new European safety
directive requiring individual capsules to carry warning messages. The ruling
is a consequence of injuries suffered by children who mistake the brightly
coloured capsules used in washing machines or dishwashers as sweets, and ingest
them.
Allan Sander, Sales Director of Tresu Solutions, the
business area for integrated printing innovations, comments: “The resulting
solution will ensure brand owners can meet the new safety regulations, promote
consumer protection and maintain seamless, uninterrupted single-pass production
with no extra handling required.”
Contained within a space-saving printing module before the
pouch-filling stage, the multi-colour servo-driven solution offers
operator-friendly, fully automated ink flow and job setup, making it ideal for
operation without in-house flexo experience.
The integrated Tresu F10 iCon ink supply system constantly
feeds the printing units and maintains optimum viscosity, temperature and
pressure. Sealed, pressure-controlled chambered doctor blade systems enable
direct, foam-free transfer of ink or coating to the anilox rollers, ensuring a
consistently clean printed image. To enable the brand owner to integrate the
process, Tresu Solutions optimised the unit to operate at only 10m/s – a
relatively low speed necessitated by the subsequent pouch filling process.
To further reduce manual intervention, a register module
after the printing stations maintains precise positioning of fine text
automatically, on the fly. Furthermore, a control system stores and, in the
case of repeat jobs, instantly recalls job recipes, so no re-entry of ink and
calibration data is needed.
Accommodating multiple pouches in the cross direction, the
unit prints in-line on the substrate, ensuring integrity of the printed message
through the packing or logistics process. In compliance with stringent end-user requirements to assure
consistent quality at several locations around the world, the machines feature
identical components and procedures.
Allan Sander comments: “Following the beta-testing of a
machine at the customer’s locations in Europe Tresu Solutions has supplied the
customer with a further two digit number of machines. We have been able to develop a global
solution within a short time frame, despite heavy demands on process
technology.”
