Business News
IFRA Expo 2010: Impressive New Products from ContiTech
Tuesday 21. September 2010 - Newspaper printing blankets of the CONTI-AIR and PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS brands Climate-friendly solution for waterless offset printing applications Innovation for high-speed rotary newspaper presses
ContiTech Elastomer Coatings is presenting its products at the IFRA Expo 2010 (October 4 to 6, 2010, Hamburg) in hall 3, booth 3.230-1, as a competent technology partner and manufacturer of latest-generation printing blankets. Innovations include a climate-friendly solution for waterless offset printing and a new blanket for high-speed rotary newspaper presses. With its two brands CONTI-AIR and PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS, the company is demonstrating its wide-ranging competence in the field of newspaper printing.
CONTI-AIR STEEL CE 51: the climate-friendly certified solution for waterless offset printing
For waterless offset printing applications ContiTech is offering CONTI-AIR STEEL CE 51, an advanced metal printing blanket that is also certified as climate-friendly by the renowned Ostwestfalen-Lippe University. Strong points of the new printing blanket include excellent ink transfer, maximum precision and high printing quality. These are ensured by two compressible layers – one below the fabric, one above. The advantages lie in the structure of the fabric being virtually balanced out by the two layers. So the blanket delivers uniform pressing which has a positive effect on the entire printing process. “This design guarantees very high printing quality together with a long service life,” explains Stefan Füllgraf, head of the metal printing blanket sector at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings.
The new CONTI-AIR metal printing blanket also stands out due to its uniform thickness (plane parallelism), which guarantees an even impression over the entire printing length and width. “Across the board, CONTI-AIR metal printing blankets are fitted with relatively thick, compressible rubber layers which are permanently vulcanized to the metal. This guarantees optimum service life,” says Füllgraf. Compared to the normal offset process, the waterless printing process allows greater rubber blanket durability, as it does not require fountain solutions. The CONTI-AIR STEEL CE 51 meets these requirements with a special film which is melted onto the reverse side. With the new CONTI-AIR STEEL CE 51, ContiTech ranks world market leader in waterless offset printing. This is why Koenig & Bauer, one of the globes leading manufacturers of printing machines, uses the printing blanket as original equipment.
Phoenix Journal: the innovation for high-speed rotary newspaper presses
Phoenix Journal, the first newspaper printing blanket from PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS, is ideal for non-shaft satellite newspaper printing machines as well as for the classic four-high towers. “Thanks to ContiTech technology, a new universal product has evolved with excellent quality and a long life,” says Sven Speier, area manager for PHOENIX Xtra BLANKETS. “With the Phoenix Journal, we are closing a gap in our product portfolio and, on top of that, we can now provide blankets for both configurations.” Equipped with two low-stretch, hydrophobized carcass fabrics and a highly resistant, special buffed surface, the printing blanket ensures stable and reliable production conditions and a significant reduction in paper dust buildup. Its slightly negative paper feed characteristics ensure smooth paper flow and a well-balanced, low motor power take-up on individually driven cylinders. The Phoenix Journal is the next logical step for ContiTech Elastomer Coatings in the evolution of its printing blanket line. This innovative and stable product is ideally suited to the needs of newspaper offset customers.
CONTI-AIR ENTROPIA-TR 2: Newspaper printing blanketwith Air2 technology
ENTROPIA-TR 2, a blanket based on what is referred to as Air2 technology and equipped with an additional compressible layer beneath the cover, also enjoys wide recognition among customers in the newspaper printing sector. “ENTROPIA-TR 2 is a cost-effective and technically stable product featuring ideal paper feed characteristics,” explains Jan Jungmann, head of printing blanket development at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings, “irrespective of whether for classical shaft-driven machines or high-speed satellite machines.”
On traditional four-high units, the ENTROPIA-TR 2 develops a high stability thanks to its unique design, and especially because of its defined low-sink characteristics. Engineered as it is, the new blanket ensures much less of a temperature build-up during printing. “Owing to the extremely low running temperatures, the typical problems encountered in newspaper printing – like swelling and a buildup of paper dust and ink – are minimized”, underlines Jungmann. What is more, perfect machine configuration is no problem with the ENTROPIA-TR 2. It ensures well-balanced motor power take-up on shaftless drives and guarantees stable production conditions.
CONTI-AIR Evolution-TR: best ink transfer with neutral paper feed
ContiTech is also exhibiting its CONTI-AIR EVOLUTION-TR newspaper printing blanket. Advancements on the CONTI-AIR EVOLUTION have produced a blanket characterized by excellent ink transfer as well as neutral feed characteristics and ultra-fast paper release. Thus it is ideal for use on four-high units in particular. Stretch behavior of the first fabric ply has been improved, the special barrier layer between the second and third fabric plies prevents the penetration of printing chemicals, and a new kind of fabric treatment significantly reduces swelling after exposure to fountain solutions. “All these improvements have led to superb smash resistance and printing results on all grades of paper in coldset printing, plus an exceptionally long service life”, summarizes Jungmann.
Climate-neutral printing blankets
ContiTech Elastomer Coatings carries the climate-neutral printing blankets in its CONTI-AIR line-up under the PURE PRINTING label. “These printing blankets improve the printing processs carbon footprint and easily satisfy our customers ever more pressing ecological demands,” says Dr. Thomas Perkovi?, head of the printing blanket segment at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings. “By assuming a climate-neutral stance, we have bolstered our leadership position in the printing blanket domain in terms of innovative environment and climate protection solutions, and are proud to be the worlds first manufacturer marketing climate-neutral printing blankets. We are thus able, in this major way, to contribute to environmentally sound printing. And this is achieved at no extra cost to our customers.”