Well-known Melbourne packaging printer AMR Hewitt has installed a new Heidelberg Varimatrix 82 CS die-cutter to completes the upgrade of its cutting fleet. The Varimatrix, which is a half-size cutting machine, is teamed with Heidelberg’s larger format Dymatrix 113 die-cutter, which was installed at the end of 2012. Lou Mimmo, managing director of AMR Hewitt says the company had been looking for a cutting machine in the half size format for some time to complement its Heidelberg half size press. He says, “I was lucky enough to view the first incarnation of the Varimatrix at the Heidelberg plant in Germany before its launch at drupa last year. We were given the opportunity to assess the machine and to make recommendations to Heidelberg in terms of the practical features we believed were necessary to meet our needs. Heidelberg agreed with our suggestions and committed to make these modifications so we had no issues in placing the order”.
He continues. “Heidelberg’s support and technical training have been terrific and we haven’t had any issues with our machine at all. Within two weeks of its arrival it is up and running and it hasn’t missed a beat”. AMR Hewitts uses the Varimatrix 82 CS for a range of applications from embossing and form cutting to specialised pharmaceutical braille packaging for the export market. “A lot of our pharmaceutical products are exported into Europe where braille is a standardised requirement for packaging,” explains Mimmo. “We had been producing this work on one of our existing machines, but the age of the machine made the work more time consuming than it should have been. With the Varimatrix we are getting a great result in a time frame that is much better than we anticipated”. Mimmo says there are multiple advantages to the Varimatrix 82 CS, but in particular its speed, size and cutting pressure are standouts. “This machine has a significant amount of cutting pressure for its size, and it is the quietest die-cutter I’ve ever heard, even when it is running at top speed”. In conclusion he says, “The combination of the Varimatrix and Dymatrix die-cutters has enabled us to retire our three previous machines and has given us easily 50 per cent more capacity. We’re very pleased with our decision”. AMR Hewitts PrintPackaging has positioned itself at the quality end of the market, manufacturing a range of packaging products for a diverse customer base spanning pharmaceutical, complementary health and cosmetics through to boutique foods and automotive retail lines. The company was established in 1985 after packaging manufacturer AMR (Australian Modern Reproduction) acquired Hewitts Printers, a commercial print company. By 1990 the new company had dispensed with commercial print work to focus solely on manufacturing high quality packaging products. Heidelberg says the Varimatrix 82 CS meets the needs for short makeready times, quality, and productivity. With a maximum sheet format of 605 x 815mm, the Varimatrix 82 CS is aimed to work with a Speedmaster XL 75, particularly for short job runs. And this flexible high-performance die cutter also processes small sheet formats down to 280 x 320mm??The Varimatrix 82 CS processes a wide range of different materials.
It supports embossing and die cutting with a cutting force that is high in its class for paper with grammages from 80 gsm, card and solid board up to 1,400gsm, and corrugated board with thicknesses of up to 4mm. The maximum processing speed is 8,000 sheets an hour. Heidelberg says the Varimatrix 82 CS die cutter offers commercial and packaging printers an attractive option to achieve significant added value in postpress with low investment costs.
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