Consumables
Print 2017 TRESU highlights: complete flexo offset ancillary systems; coating solutions for digital folding carton lines
Wednesday 19. July 2017 - At PRINT 2017, TRESU Group presents its ancillary solutions for automating ink logistics and temperature control in flexo and offset printing situations, together with complete coating systems for integration with sheet-fed digital packaging and commercial printing lines (booth 657, September 10-14, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA).
TRESUs ancillary program comprises ink supply systems, together with chamber doctor blade systems for narrow, mid and wide-web flexo applications, providing a complete solution for regulating ink flow throughout the press – from bucket to substrate. This significantly reduces material and ink waste, setup times, emissions and labor and results in consistently accurate color targets at speeds that can exceed 600m/min (approx. 2000ft/min.). Additionally, TRESUs broad product line of ancillary solutions includes process temperature control systems and dampening water circulators for sheet-fed and web offset presses, infrared and hot air drying systems, and coating/ink circulation systems for water-base, UV, and solvent applications.
The F10 iCon ink supply system for automated flow regulation
TRESUs F10 iCon ink supply system regulates ink flow, pressure and viscosity from the bucket, through the chamber, to the press, maintaining constant, pre-set ink density values for complete production runs. When ink changes are required, the F10 iCon system carries out fast and thorough cleaning of the chamber automatically, and returns almost all unused contents to the bucket for reuse on subsequent jobs. With the F10 iCon, simultaneous ink change cycles on printing stations takes minutes, delivering significant time and materials savings per job.
Chamber doctor blade systems deliver uniform print quality print and ease of use
The TRESU chamber program includes lightweight, corrosion-resistant carbon fiber and ceramic variants and covers all flexo printing situations, in widths from 185mm (7.3in) to beyond 6000mm (236in). Assisted by the companys patented seals and constant pressure maintained by the supply system, TRESU chamber doctor blades prevent leakage and air contamination, thereby ensuring clean, blister-free print results with fast drying characteristics, better reflection and higher gloss values. When doctor blades need replacing, TRESUs patented clamping systems enable changeovers in less than two minutes.
For wide web and corrugated flexo applications between 1600mm (63in) and 6000mm (236in), the carbon fiber TRESU MaxiPrint Concept reduces cleaning time and improves color quality and consistency. Comprising a closed chamber, an integrated ink supply unit and a cleaning cycle, MaxiPrint Concept offers fast, automatic internal cleaning, corrosion-resistance, improved print quality consistency and reduced ink loss. The chambers cleaning nozzles with robustly designed water-shot mechanisms provide an ink change and cleaning cycle within 3-5 minutes.
Versatility and productivity: the Flexo Innovator hybrid in-line printing press
There will also be information about TRESUs hybrid Flexo Innovator printing line with integrated finishing options. With several installations worldwide, press has proved to be a highly efficient, productive solution for paper, carton board, laminates, metallic substrates and unsupported films with both water-based ink and UV OPV coating media. The press can be equipped with automatic inking and control systems to minimize operator intervention, setup times and material waste. Enclosed, automatically controlled ink circulation and uniform ink laydown is achieved by regulating the ink chemistry during the printing process.
Productivity-enhancing features may include inline inspection and color management systems; hot air drying; unwind / rewind stands as well as finishing options like cold foil, laminating, die-cutting, embossing, and rotary cutting and sheeting, to give the Flexo Innovator unparalleled flexibility.
Integrated coating systems for digital printing
At the stand, there will also be presentations about TRESUs coating workflow for integration with digital printing lines.
TRESU coating systems integrate with sheet-fed digital presses to apply added-value coatings and metallic embellishments to folding carton, papers and synthetic materials. Applying full-surface or spot coatings, the systems provide the essential link in a productive single-pass digital printing and converting solution for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage, promotional gifts, consumer electronics packaging and commercial printing applications.
TRESU iCoat single and dual coaters are available for HP Indigo 30000, HP Indigo 12000 and HP Indigo 10000 presses; TRESU Pinta is available for Xerox iGen presses. The coaters perform at maximum speeds equivalent to those of the press. Fast sleeve changeovers and automatic chamber cleaning bring setup times to within five minutes.
The coating systems may be complemented by the recently introduced TRESU Flexo Kit, a flexo printing unit with integrated peristaltic pump, for applying high-gloss metallic, Iriodin, and other special-effect coating finishes.
Additionally, TRESU supplies a comprehensive range of consumables such as varnish media, tapes and sleeves, as well as cutting equipment, thereby covering every element in this coating workflow.
TRESUs iVarnish UV and water-based coating media are specially formulated for the iCoat 30000. There will also be new varnishes with improved adhesion properties so that plastic as well as board substrates may be run. One potential application for these media is the retail loyalty card.
The newest addition to the sleeve range is a ready-to-print sleeve for flood varnish application, assuring optimized print results at top speeds.
The TRESU iCut cutter provides a fast, straightforward means of imaging flexo plates or sleeves for spot coating effects. Accommodating sleeve-mounted B2-size plates used by TRESU iCoat units, the TRESU iCut processes the same software as that used by the digital printer and the accompanying analogue coater. The plate, mounted on a sleeve, is cut directly from the file, without the need for shrinkage compensation, within ten minutes.
Also available is an inkjet coating feature called the TRESU iJet, for variable positioning of spot coatings. Integrated into the iCoat, it features up to 11 print heads that can be positioned in the cross direction of the sheet to apply coating anywhere on the surface of the image.
Chilling systems for efficient heat extraction
TRESU will also highlight its chilling systems for sustainable, efficient heat extraction from digital, flexo and offset printing presses. TRESUs new intelligent iSeries offers an innovative control platform that interfaces directly with the TRESU Internal Diagnostic Monitoring System (IDMS). IDMS is a state-of-the-art, proactive system that monitors the chiller, alerting the TRESU service department about any performance issues, facilitating remote diagnostics and enabling swift remedial action.
Highlights of the range include the compact SCi single-zone chiller with remote condenser configuration for ink rollers on sheet- and web-fed offset presses; the CCi combi-chiller for continuous circulation of water to the ink rollers; the UCi UV chiller for providing temperature-controlled process water to the UV-curing system; the MCi multi-zone controller to control water temperature where independent temperature control is needed for every printing unit; and the ZCi zone control module for managing multiple temperature control needs on sheet- and web-fed offset presses.
TRESU also offers the DPC (Digital Process Chiller) 5-6 iSeries for HP Indigo Series 4 presses, exhausting heat to remote external condensers. Each chiller and condensing unit has a heat extraction capacity of 42.2kW (144,000 Btu/hour or 1.2 refrigeration tons). The process does not involve the plants HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system.