rotec Sleeves and Adapters: A Success Story
By The Flint Group
Automation General Flexibles Elopak GmbH Flint Group rotec Atlas Eco Bridge adapter rotec Compressible SleeveThe best combination in flexo printing: rotec Atlas Eco Bridge and Compressible Sleeve.
Growing customer demands for service, quality and fast delivery times are the main challenges for the packaging printing industry. Continuous product innovations make it difficult for companies to keep up with their competitors.
Elopak recognized an ever-increasing quality difference with their practice of directly mounting the sleeves on air cylinders, without the use of adapters.
Today, many flexo printing jobs require shorter machine run-times resulting in an increased number of job changes.
This is a particular challenge for set-up times.
Each machine set-up at Elopak was associated with extreme strain on the press operator due to the weight of the air cylinders. Conventional adapter systems were tried, but could not be implemented because of the sub-standard print quality results.
In addition, the supply of compressed air through the conventional adapter air holes did not work with the existing air supply system on the printing press.
Elopak found the solution with the rotec sleeves and adapters.
Implementation
In cooperation with Flint Group‘s Technical Service, a rotec Atlas Eco Bridge adapter was custom-made for Elopak. The special feature lies in the unique air supply system.
Instead of air holes, a breathable metal ring evenly builds up an immediate air pillow around the entire circumference of the adapter, allowing much easier sleeve mounting.
The airflow can be reduced by up to 90 percent and the noise level can be reduced to room volume.
The rotec Atlas Eco Bridge is a high-modulus carbon adapter. The carbon fiber construction has low-vibration and vibration-damping properties that significantly improves the print quality, especially at higher print speeds.
Elopak’s press operators reported enthusiastically: Until now, two employees had to change the air cylinder at 45 Kg. With the rotec Atlas Eco Bridge (16.5 kg), this can be done by one person only, while the other already sets up the machine. We can work much easier and faster now.
Another step in the process optimization was the plate mounting.
Elopak’s biggest challenge is to accurately match the customer’s desired print result with a simulation.
When using traditional sleeves, employees must accurately attach the plates to the sleeves using a compressible adhesive tape. Mounting errors such as air pockets or a displaced motive can not always be avoided.
The rotec Compressible Sleeve is the best solution for this. Elopak has been using this compressible sleeve for over 20 years, which was specially developed for thin plates and is available in three different harnesses (50, 60, 70 Shore A).
The compressible surface ensures optimum printing results with combined half-tone and solid areas in one printing unit.
The rotec Compressible Sleeve offers standardized quality and excellent tape adhesion that prevents “slippage” in the nip.
Success
Through regular print tests, Elopak was able to confirm the consistent quality of the print results by combining rotec Atlas Eco Bridge and rotec Compressible Sleeve.
About Elopak
Since 1976, Elopak GmbH, based in Speyer, has been part of the Norwegian Ferd Group, one of the leading international suppliers of paper-based packaging solutions for liquid foods. Today, the company distributes complete packaging systems and related filling machines for filling liquids from the food (such as beverages) and non-food sectors (like fabric softeners or bulk, such as pet food).
The paperboard packaging Pure-Pak gable board they invented is still one of the most popular packaging for dairy and juice products in the world. The nyloflex printing plates, rotec sleeves and adapters, as well as UV inks have been an integral part of the Elopak printing press equipment for 30 years. The years of cooperation between Elopak and Flint Group are characterized by trust and joint development, with particular support from the know-how and the technical service of the Flint Group. All challenges have been tackled together to meet the requirements of the customers.
Company information at www.elopak.com and www.flintgrp.com.
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