The subject of the patent is the technique which allows the exchangeable supporting and positioning of printing cylinders in the offset printing press; the basics of the VSOP technology. The patent is already granted for North America, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Great Britain and Italy.
The patents make it harder for competitors to develop printing machines that can compete with the VSOP technology. Some are claiming they have the same developments but Drent Goebel asserts that this is impossible.
Rob Schellekens, Drent Goebel Sales and Marketing director, says, “This patent helps us keeping the advantages we have over our competitors. When we started the development and saw the first results we knew that we had a unique product and had to secure it from our competitors”.
Variable Sleeve Offset Printing is a technology allowing the use of variable print lengths in offset. This, amongst other things, makes the VSOP a never before seen flexible printing press. The technology combines the advantages of offset with those of flexo and gravure. VSOP spells the end for traditional size groups. When changing printing length only two lightweight sleeves need to be changed. With this development length-variable sleeves, which contributed so greatly to the rise of flexo printing, can now be used in offset printing. VSOP allows the printing length to be steplessly set from 15 inch to 30 inch, or 381mm to 762mm. This gives the printer an extremely flexible printing press, suited for a wide range of orders. The biggest advantage of the VSOP is that the printer can print paper, pressure sensitive stock, all films and foils (even shrink film), and (heavy) cardboard on the same printing machine.
With the VSOP Drent Goebel has introduced a completely new platform for web offset printing. Obviously offset printing is the heart of the system, but other printing technologies can also be incorporated in the same printing unit design, like flexo and rotogravure. But with the introduction developments have not stopped.
A very interesting development is gapless printing. The first tests with new pre-press technologies look very promising. Drent Goebel is committed to stay up front with new developments. This will concern new sleeve types, new inline functionalities, more options for the VSOP, new software features etc.
Concerning the inks used, UV curing has reached the level of performance that is required for safe production of food packaging. Alternatively Drent Goebel will also support the use of Electron Beam curing or of conventional inks. This to ensure the flexibility that is requested by the market.
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