Drupa flexo press new technology

The Drupa Exhibition flexo equipment manufacturers have 79 exhibitors, including 30 German manufacturers, 15 Italian, 8 Swiss, 7 British, 53 American, 4 Spanish, 2 French, Danish and Brazilian , 1 each in the Netherlands, Japan, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Compared with the previous Drupa exhibition, there were 23 more flexographic machine exhibitors, including world-renowned flexo press manufacturers such as W&H, BHS, Fischer*Krecke, Lemo in Germany, Cerutti in Italy, and Schiavi in ​​Italy. Valmet, Uteco, UK's Edale, and Others have all demonstrated the newly developed flexo equipment. Among the manufacturers of flexographic printing equipment exhibiting at Drupa, there are 42 manufacturers of flexographic presses and 16 press flexo press manufacturers.

In addition, 30 flexo platemaking equipment manufacturers, 16 flexographic proofing equipment manufacturers, 34 flexo printing anilox roller manufacturers and 42 flexo roller manufacturers exhibited their new products.

Flexo printing has the advantages of simple equipment structure, easy operation, wide flexo printing materials, short plate making cycle, low printing cost, good environmental protection, and favorable multi-process automatic production. It is suitable for small batch and multi-variety printing. One of the most promising printing methods.

According to the satellite and crew flexo presses displayed by Drupa this year, some famous European and American flexographic printers have used sleeve technology, closed squeegee, and digitally controlled plates in the development of new equipment in recent years. Roller, digital (gearless) transmission technology, UV technology, non-stop changer and tension control technology, computer control technology, and predictive diagnostic technology have successfully developed high-quality, high-level flexographic presses. The use of thin plate technology, computer-to-plate, UV ink and high-line ceramic anilox roller can make the quality of flexographic printing products close to or reach the level of offset printing and gravure printing. According to relevant experts' forecasts, the market share of flexo printing will continue to increase. By 2005, the market share of flexo printing in the European and American printing market will increase from the current 30% to 35%, which is close to the market share of offset printing (36%). The flexo printing market share in flexible packaging in Europe and the United States will increase from the current 60% and 70% to 65% and 80%, respectively, and the market share in label printing will increase from the current 35% and 85% respectively to 45. % and 90%.

Here are the major products and technologies exhibited by several flexo printer manufacturers.


1. W&H Eight-color Satellite Flexo Press

The Novoflex 8-color satellite flexo press is a new starting point for flexible printing, high quality, and economic benefits. Novoflex series of satellite flexographic printing machines are mainly used for flexible packaging printing with a printing width of 1000mm. The repeat printing length is infinitely changed between 300-760mm. The maximum printing speed is 300m/min. And can be used with other post-press processing units online. Its main features are as follows:

1 Adopts direct drive technology to achieve continuously variable repeatable print length without step change. At the end of 1998, W&H used the technology of direct-drive plate cylinders and anilox rollers for the first time, applying a stepless, optional repetitive printing length technique to satellite-based flexo presses.

The direct drive of the plate cylinder allows the printing length to be continuously and continuously selectable; the centralized anilox roller direct drive can be individually closed and the anilox roller's moving speed can be adjusted. When cleaning the anilox roller, its speed can be controlled individually. Due to the digital control, there is no need to repeat variable speed adjustments, eliminating the need to change the speed and adjust the gear meshing work, thereby increasing efficiency. At the same time, with the combination of direct control technology and CI design, as well as the variability of the print length and the reduction of machine debugging time, the situation in which flexo printing was difficult to change in large format printing in the past has changed. The surface speed of the printing material surface and the surface of the printing plate are the same, and the accurate matching of the printing plate roller and the anilox roller improves dot definition, reduces the dot enlargement, and ensures the printing quality.

2 Adopt sleeve technology, shortened the preparation time, accelerated the replacement of prints, and reduced production costs. W&H's newly developed sleeve system can be used for all sizes of plate cylinders and laser-engraved ceramic anilox rollers. After printing a product, all specifications that need to be replaced can be quickly replaced by the operator in the machine. The roller mandrel and the anilox roller are always left on the machine. There is a reference mark on the printing plate sleeve, the printing machine is equipped with vertical and horizontal color registration adjustment device, in order to ensure accurate overprinting, eliminating the error of installing the printing plate cylinder.

3 The use of a closed-type squeegee system ensures that the anilox roller and printing plate get the best amount of ink. The application of laser engrave and closed squeegee with high number of ceramic anilox rollers improves the ink transfer performance of the short ink system and improves the stability of the print quality.

4 equipped with non-stop roll-type retractable roll device, tension measurement and adjustment device and traction device. The pressure roller device and the belt breaking device work pneumatically, and the pneumatic tension measurement and adjustment device is used to ensure constant tension.

5 Using the PROCONTROL modular automation operating system, it is possible to preselect menus, centrally operate retracting and unwinding units, printing units, and drying units, and also to select camera-and-printing observation modules to monitor the entire printing process on the display screen. Using CAN communication technology, the functional modules are networked to exchange information. Use modems to select remote troubleshooting devices to help customers.

6 Use the FLEXOREX CCI computer to control the fast-forward system to ensure that the equipment does not generate waste when registering in a stopped state. The high-efficiency servo stepper motor has an automatic speed monitoring function to ensure highly accurate setting of parameters such as printing pressure, printing length, printing plate, and printing material thickness.

7Using temperature-controlled impression cylinder with double wall structure and high-power drying/cooling system. Both the color drying device and the bridge drying device use double-circuit circulating air, which reduces the demand for fresh air, thereby reducing the consumption of heating energy.


ASTRAFLEX CCI 8-color satellite packaging flexo press is a new product developed by W&H. There are three kinds of printing width: 1070, 1270 and 1570mm. The maximum printing speed is 470m/min. The aircraft insurance has the characteristics of the above-mentioned flexographic printing machine, and also uses a separate motor drive technology, a main drive device, a drive device and a traction device for retracting the coil components. The coordination between the additional printing station and the anilox roller is achieved by an electronic synchronous adjustment system. The traction device can be set up in proportion, but can also work according to the actual tension. If the ECO-PLUS optimization module is added to the standard model, the equipment operation is more convenient and comfortable. The main features are:


1 Robotic roll change system PORTACIFT is used to automatically change plate cylinders and anilox rolls. It only takes 1 minute to change one roll.

2 Anilox roller The print part cutting system of the individual drive device, the Flexorex CC, is used to enable the holographic meshing of the printed parts to ensure accurate overprinting.

3 ink supply and cleaning system TURBOLEAN, used to supply ink to the printing components and automatic cleaning of the reticulate, chamber type scraping system, ink pump and ink tube. The cleaning sequence is controlled by the computer.

4 Pre-preparation of the system PMR, which allows a safe area to be used for the preparation of the next job on the operating equipment, in order to ensure that the PORTACIFT manipulator roll changer system installs or removes plates that do not mesh with the central gear during operation. Roller and anilox roller.

2. Cerutti's Satellite Flexo Press

The Tachys (fast type) satellite flexo machine exhibited by Cerutti is a high-tech flexographic press using sleeve technology and all-digital control technology. Tachys series flexographic presses are available in a variety of configurations for a variety of special applications. For example, we can use wire-wrapped flexographic printing units for glazing, cold/hot coating, compounding, etc. The printing width can reach 1400mm. , repeat printing length 800mm, printing speed 300m/min. The machine has the following features:

1Sleeve technology is used to significantly reduce product replacement time. Each printing color group adopts a prominent horizontal guide rail relative to the rotation of the central impression cylinder, thus ensuring the stability and accuracy of the entire machine.

2 To increase the repeat length of the printing, the machine improves the distance between the printing color groups, maintains the compact structure of the machine wallboard and is easy to operate. This new space layout makes the cleaning and maintenance operations more convenient and faster.

3 Optimized design of the squeegee system, with special flexibility, can easily replace the entire squeegee on the machine, and can be connected with the installed automatic cleaning system.

4 The improved drying system saves energy without causing environmental pollution.

5 The cutters, unwinders and press rolls on the take-up stand of the automatic take-up mechanism are mounted on linear guides, eliminating friction due to their own weight. The automatic splicing mechanism works even at the maximum paper roll diameter, thus guaranteeing perfect tension control at the highest printing speed.

6 Use the FNC300 digital control and management system to monitor the entire printing process. Thanks to the intelligent drive system and positioning system, accurate movements and lateral registration of the plate cylinders and anilox rollers of various color groups are guaranteed. Accurate control of the unwind/wind-up unit with the DC motor.

With the establishment of the digital era, Tachys series electronic transmission printing units and infinitely variable high-resolution satellite-type flexographic printing machines have been introduced.

3. Two new flexo presses from BHS

The BHS Flexline Vario flexo press adopts a gearless, directly driven plate cylinder, which eliminates the limitation of the gear teeth. Each printing unit has its own independent servo drive mechanism and quick roll change system. The machine has a short time for adjustment and is convenient for expanding the unit. It can print on both sides and has high flexibility. It can be changed to UV flexo printing. Flexo printing units can also be turned into gravure printing units. After each printing unit there is a larger drying area, which makes printing more efficient. The printing width is 680, 860, 1030, 1320, 1620mm, the maximum printing speed is 500m/min, and the repeat printing length is infinitely variable.

Flexline Compact presses are used for printing cardboard and folding cartons. UV flexo printing has the advantages of small dot gain, bright color, low printing cost, wide printing materials, and less pollution. It eliminates the need for air cleaning devices and eliminates the need to clean the rollers when they are stopped. There are two forms of hot air and UV drying.

4. Schiavi's Satellite Flexo Press

The Alpha GL/NC8-CI satellite flexo printing machine exhibited by Schiavi has a tape width of 850-1250mm, a printing length of 270-650mm, and a maximum printing speed of 350.

m/min. The machine adopts digital direct drive technology and replaceable sleeve device, equipped with printing pressure, tension control and adjusting device, automatic register device and remote control system.


The Rigel NC8-CI eight-color satellite flexo press is a modern high-speed flexo press developed by Schiavi, with a web width up to 1650mm and a print length of 350-1200.

Mm, the maximum printing speed is 400m/min.


Flexo SF82 unit flexo press also adopts plate cylinder and anilox roller sleeve technology, can print 200-500g/m2 (0.2-0.8mm) paperboard, the maximum printing speed is 250m/min, printing length is 400 -800mm.

5. Fischer & KrecKe's shaftless drive flexo press

Fischer & KrecKe exhibited Flexpress16 new eight-color satellite-based flexographic printing machine with a printing width of 850-1450mm, a repeat printing length of 320-760mm, and a maximum printing speed of 360m/min. The machine adopts thin-walled sleeve technology, which has low manufacturing cost and can maintain good radial accuracy during printing. Thanks to the new window technology, the inking unit is simpler and easier to operate.

6. PCMC's Satellite Flexo Press

PCMC exhibited the eXe11 eleven-color flexo press and Infinity sleeve press at the show.

VISION (Visual) 8-color satellite flexo press is a new product of PCMC. The machine print width 740mm, repeat printing length 250-600mm, the maximum printing speed 240m/min. VISION employs a closed-type squeegee, equipped with automatic roll change and tape guide corrective devices and an operation control system. It is fast and agile, and the plate cylinder and anilox roller are mounted on a linear ball guide to facilitate mechanical positioning and locking. While using closed