Label press manufacturer Omet – supplied in Australia by the Currie Group – has launched a new entry level PS press. The iFlex label press has laser-assisted plate cylinder adjustment technology designed to reduce waste and drive efficiency. It is a 370mm-wide UV flexo press, which incorporates a manual pre-register system and Omet’s vision-1 automatic register control. Speaking with Australian Printer, Mark Daws, general manager ANZ – label and packaging division at Currie Group, says the press is excellent.
Daws says, “It is a great new product that will generate a lot of interest in the Australian label print market. It is a shaft driven press, but with a directly driven impression cylinder and only one gear per print unit on the plate cylinder, designed to eliminate gear backlash and improve print stability. “We expect a whole range of printers, big and small, to purchase this label press.” Omet says the iLight pre-register system on the press consists of laser pointers located on each print unit and lining up with the top of the plate. The light beam shows the exact mounting position for the plate. Once the plate has been properly aligned by the operator it is manually locked in place. The company says the dual laser pointers are positioned on the die station – one perpendicular to the die for longitudinal register, and one aligned on the web for cut-to-print accuracy. Run registration, the company says, is achieved by cameras (iCam) positioned on each printing unit to capture the register mark, allowing operators to gain feedback on manual corrections via a centrally located iVision monitor. Steve Leibin at Omet US, says, ”The result of combining the iLight laser pointers, iCam smart cameras and the iVision system is to guarantee a quantity of waste during set-up similar to that obtained with fully servo-motorized machines. “The iFlex has a web path of just 1.3 meters, making the press compact and with low make-ready waste. On request, the machine can be configured with a longer web path for use with water-based inks. Omet says the Converting Express end of the press is the new horizontal loading quick change die cutting unit (QCDC), which allows preparation of the die cylinder offline on a dedicated trolley. The company says the Converting Express has Omet’s established Rock’n’Roll matrix rewinding system, which allows the press to run faster by reducing the risk of matrix breaks, even for complex shapes. “The machine handles a range of formats from 5-18.5 ins, which is tailored to the needs of the small and medium-sized label converter,” the company says. “The iFlex press is fully modular with a rail-mounted cold foil unit as standard and optional screen, UV lamination and an end of line video camera stations. The press has been designed for easy switch-over to LED curing with dual-use GEW lamp housings and power supplies already on the machine.” Marco Calcagni, Omet sales and marketing director, says: “iFlex fills a technology gap in today’s market. It is an ideal complement to the equipment of the medium to large label converter who produces large volumes of simple labels with just-in-time deliveries, who are looking for a decrease in wastage. “At the same time, it represents for smaller label converters with less investment capacity, the technological resource to print any job, no matter the volume, with a high ROI.” The iFlex will be on display at Labelexpo in Brussels at the end of September. Daws says Currie Group is taking orders for the press now.
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