Packaging
Gallus ECS 340 – granite based
Wednesday 30. September 2009 - Gallus ECS 340 heralds a new era in the manufacture of commodity labels
At Labelexpo Europe 2009 on 23 September, the Gallus Group will be heralding a new era for the cost-effective manufacture of commodity product decoration solutions with the market launch of the Gallus ECS 340. The press is based on a robust core of technical granite. Never has printing been so easy, efficient and user-friendly, never have costs per label been so low – and all for a low investment costs.
Technical granite used as the basis of Gallus ECS 340
“Thanks to its extremely high load-bearing capacity, technical granite is ideal for use in machine construction. It is responsible, among other things, for the user-friendly design of the Gallus ECS 340. The printing units are suspended on the granite structure, allowing the printer easy access and thus ensuring ease of operation,” explains Stefan Heiniger, Vice-President Research and Development of the Gallus Group.
“Whats more, granite is a natural raw material whose use has a very positive impact on the CO2 balance of the Gallus ECS 340. The eco-friendly design of the Gallus ECS 340 is underpinned by the ease with which the granite can be recycled once the press reaches the end of its life cycle,” adds Heiniger.
High productivity coupled with low investment costs
For labels with limited finishing requirements in commodity applications (such as food, pharmaceuticals, etc.), substrate costs can account for up to 50% of the labels total cost. This means that the amount of waste produced impacts strongly on the margin of a job. The Gallus ECS 340 sets new standards in terms of waste reduction in this machine class, with the web length measuring just over 11 meters for an 8-colour machine. “It is remarkable just how quickly the press gets into register and, above all, stays there – without any register control whatsoever! Our paper waste has been cut dramatically,” says Mr. Esser, production manager at Barthel GmbH, when asked what he thought of the press. One of the first Gallus ECS 340 presses has been in action at Barthel GmbH in Essen since mid-2009, primarily for the production of food labels.
The very short web path also offers additional benefits. For example, the result of adjustments made during production is visible immediately and facilitates an extremely efficient workflow. Whats more, the dynamic feed ensures that the print image is not altered when speeds are changed, thus ensuring the consistently high quality of print results. “We now trust the press register accuracy to the extent that printers can focus on preparing the next job without having to continuously check the quality of the print results – even at top speeds,” adds Esser from Barthel GmbH.
Gallus productivity elements, which already have a proven track record on the market, were used in the development of this press. For example, plate cylinders and anilox rollers are designed as sleeves, thus enabling very fast job changeovers. This benefit is supplemented by the chambered blade system, so that inks can also be changed in next to no time. The press, which comes with full servo drive technology, is also equipped with cooled impression cylinders, leading to excellent substrate flexibility.
“The Gallus ECS 340 is available at a very competitive price,” says Klaus Bachstein, CEO of the Gallus Group. “This is due to the fact that the press has been tailored precisely to the needs of the target application segment and only includes essential functions, without compromising on quality or cost-efficiency. The end result is a productive machine system that offers unbeatably low costs per label – and all for an investment that wont break the bank.”
User-friendly printing
“Thanks to the intuitive controls, operators have no problems in familiarizing themselves with the press,” says Mr. Esser, commenting on the user-friendly operation of the Gallus ECS 340. “In addition to its user-friendly functionality, the machine also boasts exceptionally quiet operation. The press generally exhibits very low vibrations and, thanks to the absence of a fan, low noise levels, too, ensuring that printing on it is a real pleasure,” adds Esser.
The Gallus ECS 340 does not need an exhaust system thanks to a new development in the UV system. The UV dryers are fully encapsulated and watercooled so that no air extraction is required. This results in low noise levels and, above all, benefits for the pressrooms ambient conditions, which are barely influenced by the Gallus ECS 340 press.
“The press success even before the official market launch has surprised us all,” says Felix Egger, head of Sales & Marketing at the Gallus Group. “The few demonstrations that we have held in recent weeks have all generated great interest among customers. We are delighted to have already sold six presses. The functionality of the Gallus ECS 340, which was developed based on numerous discussions and surveys with our customers, undoubtedly satisfies the demand for the cost-effective production of commodity labels.”