Finishing & Screen Printing

Horizon AF-408F: shortest makeready times for complex folds

Monday 29. March 2021 - Nowadays, short runs are becoming more and more common in day-to-day business - so fully automatic folding machines that support fast changeovers between different jobs are in corresponding demand. Especially in the pharmaceutical sector, makeready times are particularly high due to sometimes very complex folds.

Horizon has therefore expanded its portfolio with the powerful AF-408F 8-pocket folding machine. With a minimum fold length of only 18 mm, it is particularly suitable for the flexible and fully automatic production of very small folds, such as package inserts.
Fully automatic.
In terms of automation, the AF-408F sets new standards and ensures the shortest makeready times as well as high productivity and quality: all necessary settings for the stops in the feeder, the infeed guides, all buckle plates and folding rollers are made fully automatically within a few seconds after selecting the type of fold on the touchscreen. A comprehensive job memory ensures enormous time savings and virtually zero waste for repeat jobs. Should a correction be necessary, the patented quick correction button allows all buckle plates to be corrected at once in the case of multiple folds.
In addition, the positions of the required creasing tools are also set automatically: The integrated score navigator calculates the creases depending on the type of fold and positions the tools with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre.
Modularly expandable.
The AF-408F can also be expanded with a fully automatic buckle plate folder with six buckle plates or a KTU-40 mobile knife folder, which was specially developed for very small folds. In this way, further folds can be made in cross-fold or a parallel fold if the material is already too thick for the buckle plates. For example, products with a minimum format of up to 20 x 30 mm and a maximum product thickness of up to 6 mm can also be produced.
To further enhance folding quality and accuracy, the AF-408F can be equipped with a water scoring system. For maximum production reliability in the pharmaceutical sector, the press also offers the option of integrating a camera system for barcode monitoring or print image recognition. Defective sheets are automatically and reliably ejected during production by a reject gate. The use of sheet presses and output with a vertical sheet delivery ensure particularly convenient handling of the smallest formats.
The addition of a gluing unit enables the products to be sealed with the aid of a gluing point. Alternatively, a closure labeller can be connected to seal the products with a perforated label.
Networking on a new level.
For even more productivity, the cloud-based workflow service iCE LiNK can be used to network all Horizon machines. With the help of iCE LiNK, production processes can be monitored, analysed, visualised and thus made even more efficient in real time. It also ensures preventive maintenance intervals and remote maintenance.