Offset Printing
Successful upgrading of BOBST Web-Fed gravure machines
Friday 26. December 2008 - Actual market requirements
In the current economic environment, machine suppliers have to differentiate themselves from their competition in ways that extend beyond their equipment offering, developing specific aftermarket products to better serve their customers.
Moreover, the combined evolution of technical, product, and market demands requires that the production means should be adaptable over time. Machine suppliers have thus to propose upgrades and retrofits that can bring a fast return on investment by achieving a noticeable improvement in the quality and performance of existing equipment, such as, for example, through shorter job changeover times, reduced waste levels, or productivity increases etc,.
In this context, BOBST Web-Fed Solutions has defined five axes of improvement – spare parts, tools, service products, training, and upgrades – and this article will focus on the last of these items.
Upgrades
In order to satisfy the demand of its customers, and to give them an extended choice to match their needs, BOBST Web-Fed Solutions decided to enlarge its Product Improvement Program by developing new upgrades for existing equipment and proposing machine investigations using experienced technicians. These products help BOBSTs customers to fulfill the demanding production requirements in the market.
It is important to recall that most machines are originally “custom tailored” to satisfy special requests from customers, making the integration of new technology within such equipment a complex task requiring hours of deep analysis to find appropriate solutions. In addition, the older generations of equipment are often no longer in todays manufacturing program, making it difficult to find suitable replacement parts.
On the other hand, successful upgrades allow the converter to take advantage of their machines strength and quality, as well as to extend its longevity, while staying at the cutting edge of todays technology – all at a reduced investment cost.
Success story in Indonesia
In this context, BOBST Web-Fed Solutions carried out, in the beginning of 2008, the retrofit of a Web-Fed gravure press belonging to an Indonesian cigarette manufacturer, who uses the press to produce the packaging for their products.
This retrofit, split into three phases, comprised of: the installation of electrostatic printing assist systems on two printing units of the press; the upgrade of the press unwinder brake control system; the installation of one additional printing unit; the mechanical and electrical upgrade of several elements of the inline flat-bed cutter-creaser; the installation of a pre-printed substrate insetting feature; and the installation of a lateral register system to the entire press.
Today, this upgraded machine produces excellent printing and cutting quality, demonstrates high-production capacity, and enables this customer to easily reach its next peak of success by producing high quality cigarette boxes at controlled cost.
The check price of this upgrade, its return on investment and, above all, its machine and printing quality, match the standard of a modern strategy to meet the market demand for both reasonable prices and advanced quality.
BOBST Web-Fed Solutions is well down the road to further successful collaborations with other valued customers in the Asian market, and sees, by this means, great opportunities for them to improve their productivity and quality.