Finishing & Screen Printing
Autobond Takes Laminating to New Levels at Graph Expo
Monday 01. September 2008 - The recent decision of UK manufacturer Autobond to incorporate different finishing processes within its laminators, means that the company will show one of its most versatile laminators ever at this years Graph Expo exhibition in Chicago, October 26th - 29th.
The new Mini 76 TPE-H-FM is a thermal model that can laminate thin film one or both sides of the sheet in one pass plus edge seal work. In addition, it can produce floor graphics, pressure sensitive adhesive and jobs, such as fridge magnets and magnetic business cards, which require lamination with a magnetic material on one side.
“The Mini 76 TPE-H-FM can be built to suit customers specification,” says President John Gilmore. “For example, if there is a need to handle stock down to 8½? x 5½?, we can fit a Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 feed head. However, if 8½? x 11? is the minimum sheet, we would fit a Speedmaster 74 feed head.”
The machines angled feed table has micro-adjustable side lays to ensure accurate side positioning of the sheets – essential during edge seal and flush cut work. New electronic front lays operate as a servo-driven sheet correctional device. When laminating thin film, the grip edge of the sheet is under-lapped and the ultrasonic detector is used, which ensures an accurately controlled under-lap of sheets.
When the Mini is being used for edge seal work, the operator can set the gap between the sheets at a precise distance, and this will remain completely accurate throughout the run, because any sheets that are fed out of sync are advanced or retarded to give an exact gap. The advantage of this is that only one cut is required to separate work, which is estimated will save around 10 per cent on film compared to cutters requiring a double cut.
To handle heavy gauge plastic film, the Mini can have a servo driven cross cutter (CC 76) added, or the customers existing cutter can be used, if suitable. The CC 76, however, is fitted with a separate servo-driven in-feed that pulls the web in at extremely high speeds. The web stops exactly at the centre of the gap, where the servo-driven flying knife cuts the sheet.
The CC 76 can also be programmed to make a double cut for flush cut or tab work, and is fitted with a pro-active web guidance system that ensures pinpoint accuracy of the servo driven flying knife. Separated sheets are then delivered on to a speed adjustable shingle table or into the vibrating jogger. The cutter can be sold as a stand-alone unit to be used with other makes of laminator or encapsulator. The encapsulation cutting blade (a circular disc) can be changed within two minutes to an arrowhead type (lamination) cutting blade, which can be used to cross cut single-sided nylon and polyester, where the sheets have been under-lapped. Changing over from lamination to encapsulation takes about three minutes.
The Mini 76 TPE-H-FM can encapsulate with 1.3 mil, 3 mil, 5 mil or 10 mil PET polyester. In laminating mode it can apply 1 mil matt or gloss OPP, one or two sides in one pass. The maximum running speed is 200 feet per minute when laminating or encapsulating, and the stock weights that can be handled during either process are between 40 lb – 24 pt. This range is the same for all Autobond Mini laminators.
“The Mini 76 TPE-H-FM can encapsulate 9,000 8½? x 11? sph, which is a phenomenal output, while the same machine will laminate both sides of a 40? x 30? sheet at 3,600 sph or a 28? x 20? sheet at 7,200 sph,” says John Gilmore. “Weve incorporated side slitters with an edge waste rewind system that automatically rewinds edge trim on to a 3? cardboard core on a quick make-ready airshaft. This ensures there is no untidy waste film around the working area of the machine.
“Make-ready on the Mini 76 TPE-H-FM is so quick that it can be carried out using only two or three sheets, so wastage is incredibly low. The machine is highly cost effective for short and long runs and the significant pressure and temperature that can be generated in the nip rollers means that it can be used successfully with stock printed on digital presses. Our laminators are normally fully operational within a few days after delivery to a customers premises.”
To handle the type of plastic that would be used for creating floor graphics and to apply magnetic material, the Mini 76 TPE-H-FM can be equipped with additional driven rewind and unwind rollers, which can easily be brought into use when required.
Changing between jobs or processes is extremely simple and when applying magnetic material the Mini 76 TPE-H-FM can quickly be fitted with a 500 kilo reel of magnetic material, equivalent to around 750 metres. Autobond has introduced another world first with the addition to all new laminators of a wireless webcam and Skype phone facility, which takes the concept of remote diagnostics to new levels within the industry.
“New Autobond laminators are supplied with a wireless Panasonic Network Camera, which is simply clipped on to the side of the machine when not in use,” says John Gilmore. “When required, the operator can pick up and move the camera around as instructed by the Autobond engineer over the Skype telephone, which provides free unlimited telephone calls over the Internet.
“This means if a customer is experiencing difficulties, he can call Autobond on the Skype telephone and be put straight through to a highly experienced engineer. Even if the engineer is away from the Derbyshire factory, he would be able to view on his monitor every part of the laminator and instruct the operator to carry out certain procedures, including removing covers etc to see inside the machine. The system has a built-in microphone and this means the engineer can also listen to the sounds of the various parts of the laminator.”
Autobond is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sheet-fed film laminators, both thermal and water-based, and is a major supplier of thermal and water-based films and manufacturer of adhesives, which can be used on most makes of laminator. The company has customers in more than 145 countries.