Packaging
Premiere in Vienna: Ulikett invests in two systems from the new PRATI VEGAplus series
Wednesday 10. February 2010 - High-level finishing: technically mature, user-friendly and fully electronically controlled
Two of the first VEGAplus finishing systems, which PRATI, the reputed label-finishing machine manufacturer, exhibited for the first time at Labelexpo in Brussels in September 2009, are going to Vienna after the specialist fair. The purchaser is Ulikett GmbH, one of the leading web-fed label printers in Austria, which has opted for the newly presented VEGAplus LF450 and VEGAplus LF530 models. Ulikett will use the modular-design finishing systems in two different areas: the VEGAplus LF450 model will be used to die-cut and rewind blank labels, while the VEGAplus LF530 model is intended for the video-controlled customisation of large-to-small rolls.
The machines think along, is the overall judgement which Dr Gerhard Ulrich (aged 54), chief executive and company founder of Ulikett GmbH, uses to justify his investment decision. Increased print volumes and expansions of capacity have made it necessary to expand the stock of machinery in the print-finishing unit. Thanks to the user friendliness, technical finesse and the high level of automation through which PRATI systems distinguish themselves clearly from the competition, label production can be rationalised and significantly increased according to Dr Gerhard Ulrich. Ulikett had already successfully installed the PRATI JUPITER TC400 label checking system with all of the available options last year and thus become familiar with the Italian manufacturers product philosophy.
The Ulikett company has existed since 1981 and has specialised in the high-quality manufacturing, refinement, customisation, embossing and lamination of decorative labels in web-fed printing. Depending on the customers requirement, 120 employees combine all of the standard printing processes such as letterpress, digital printing, UV-flexoprinting, web-screenprinting and web-offset with up to eleven colours in one work-cycle. With production of well over two billion labels per year Ulikett counts among the most reputed label printers in Europe. Uliketts customers include well-known companies from the food, pharmaceuticals, beauty and consumer-care sectors such as Henkel and Erdal.
High performance is demanded
PRATI machines convince through their effectiveness, precision and ease of use. The highly modular design VEGAplus series can be assembled as the customer wishes. They contain an unwinding module for diameters of up to one metre including the roll-lifting unit. The die-cutting module can be equipped with two die-cutting stations as well as optionally with an automatic register control. The inspection module ensures 100% error control with camera steering. The rewinding module can be processed on a central shaft, on two independent, directly-driven shafts or on a three shaft changer with glueless, patented attachments as the user chooses. Moreover, the VEGAplus systems can be equipped with a printing module.
Ulikett uses the VEGAplus LF450 (for widths of up to 450 mm) in the configuration made up of the die-cutting module and rewinding mechanism to cope with the continuing large demand for blank labels. There was no die-cutter prior to this with an automated web-rewinder of this type, Dr Gerhard Ulrich observes. The further added advantages of VEGAplus machines are their exact web tension und full electronic system control.
At Ulikett the VEGAplus LF530 (width up to 530 mm) will cut and rewind ready-printed, multi-web large rolls into small rolls as rationally as possible. The camera control system, which discovers faulty labels and stops the machine at the right location, is particularly important here. In addition to preparing paper labels, foils, self-adhesive labels, mono-materials and composite materials for flexible labels and packaging will preferably be produced on the VEGAplus LF530.