Consumables

Emsur Saymopack optimizes longevity of sleeve-mounting adapter with rotec Eco Xtra rings

Wednesday 13. October 2021 - Spanish packaging producer Emsur Saymopack has increased their productivity and lifetime of their adapters with the new rotec Eco Xtraring from XSYS. This next-generation Eco Bridge technology improves the durability of the adapters by reducing wear from mounting sleeves.

The rotec line of Sleeves & Adapters from XSYS is under constant development with new innovations introduced to help converters improve press performance and print quality. The Eco Bridge adapter is a patented technology that enables significantly easier sleeve mounting, as well as more efficient compressed air usage. The next evolution of the rotec Eco Bridge maintains these advantages while taking sustainability to the next level. The Eco Xtra is a modified stainless-steel ring that incorporates the revolutionary air supply system of the Eco Bridge, and additionally guards against wear by strengthening the operator-side of the adapter.
The first customer to take advantage of this innovation is Emsur in Spain, who has been testing the Eco Xtra adapter at its Saymopack plant, in Valencia.
“During rough production processes, our adapters were becoming damaged very fast, so we needed to reinforce the operator side. The new ring with the innovative air supply protects the adapter from wear and improves the mounting characteristics quite significantly, as well as the overall lifetime,” says Marcos Gaspar Calatayud, who is responsible for process improvement at Emsur Saymopack.
Before: Severely damaged adapter from long-term wear.
After: Xtra ring with Eco Bridge technology for improved mounting and wear protection.
Relying on long partnership
A division of the Spanish multinational Grupo Lantero, Emsur has more than 900 staff across its nine production plants located in the following eight countries: Spain, France, Poland, Russia, the US, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. With over 30 years of experience, its packaging solutions are exported worldwide to customers primarily in the food sector, but also in the industrial, agrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors, in more than 60 countries.
The Emsur Saymopack plant is located in Algemesí, just south of Valencia, and specializes in flexible packaging production, with both rotogravure and flexographic printing presses in-house. Like all Emsur facilities, it has obtained the ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications and is committed to sustainability based on food preservation, waste reduction and the development of eco-friendly products. An ambitious investment plan undertaken over the past few years has seen the company expand its printing and converting capabilities to fulfil a large portfolio of products for its customers.
Through the XSYS regional agent, LR Flexo, Emsur Saymopack has enjoyed the benefits of rotec sleeves and adapters for plate-mounting on its wide web flexo presses for more than 10 years. “We have had a great relationship with LR Flexo for many years and we always get the best service,” says Gaspar. “And now with the new Eco Xtra ring, they even developed something designed specifically for our needs. We can now mount our sleeves much faster and speed up the whole process”.
Improving on performance
XSYS rotec Eco Bridge technology first introduced a completely new system of air distribution for adapters to the market in 2017. An innovative breathable metal ring at the operator side replaced the standard air holes that would normally run along the length of the adapter to allow easy and fast mounting of sleeves. Creating a uniform air pillow, sleeves simply float into place with little effort needed from the operator. This set a new standard in mounting and reduced compressed air usage by up to 90%, while all staff in the pressroom could enjoy an up to 99% quieter operation.
To further improve on the performance, the Eco Xtra Adapter has incorporated the original Eco Bridge technology and its advantages into a new steel ring, making it more robust. “All adapters, including the Eco Bridge, will wear over time, as sleeves are mounted and demounted, hitting the edge of the adapter day in, day out,” explains Uwe Mueller, Product Development Manager for XSYS. “This wear will cause the compressed air to start leaking, which will increase the time needed for mounting, and eventually render it impossible. The new Eco Xtra ring prevents this type of wear, while still ensuring fast and perfect mounting every time.”
At Emsur Saymopack, the entire team in the mounting department are very happy with the improvement, because it makes their daily work so much easier. Gaspar concludes, “Although it sounds like a simple solution, these new carriers with the ‘metal ring at the end’ are a remarkable improvement that makes the mounting of printing sleeves fast and simple. Even more remarkable is that it extends the useful life of the adapter itself. We would like to add this technology to all the adapters we use on our presses.”
“The rotec adapters are tailor-made to customers’ specification and we are always looking to find new ways to optimize the products for their benefit,” comments Lluis Rebled, Owner/Director of LR Flexo. “And of course, we are very proud to work with Emsur Saymopack and support them in their pursuit to eliminate any problems, big or small, in their flexo printing department. You are only as strong as the weakest link in the process.”