Follow
Follow
LinkedIn Facebook X Youtube e-mail
LinkedIn Facebook X Youtube e-mail

Bobst bandwidth gives customers a choice

No single printing process can meet the diverse requirements of the branded goods industry for label production. It is therefore an advantage if, like Bobst, you can leave all options open to label manufacturers with digital, flexo and all-in-one technologies developed in-house.

No single printing process can meet the diverse requirements of the branded goods industry for label production. It is therefore an advantage if a company with self-developed digital, flexo and all-in-one technologies can leave all options open to label manufacturers to cover these customer requirements with solutions from a single source.

In addition to high-end machines for the production of folding cartons, corrugated board packaging and flexible packaging, Bobst is today also a leading provider of label production solutions with its technologies. The company even has a competence centre in Florence (Italy) that specialises in the label market, where the experts present their entire OneLabel portfolio. This includes various digital printing and flexographic printing machines developed in-house. However, the highlight of the OneLabel portfolio is the modular all-in-one/all-inline machines, which combine conventional and digital printing and finishing technology in a special way. As a result, they offer unrivalled flexibility in label production.

„Label, packaging and branded goods manufacturers from all over the world come to us to discuss the latest requirements for label production. As we can cover the entire spectrum with our solutions, our experts do not favour any particular production technology. In fact, interested parties can compare all possible production processes in our competence centre and test under real production conditions which technology is best suited to their requirements,“ explains Matteo Cardinotti, General Manager of Narrow & Mid Web Printing & Converting at Bobst.

The Competence Centre in Florence presents all the technical solutions in Bobst's OneLabel portfolio. (Image: Bobst)

All of Bobst Group's activities are orientated towards its „industrial vision“, which pursues the goal of shaping a new future in packaging production. The focus is on digitalisation, automation, connectivity and sustainability. These topics are also the focus of the OneLabel Competence Centre. As part of a holistic approach, the experts and their visitors look at the overall picture of how label production can be optimised. This is because it is no longer just about the „pure“ production process.

Display

„Our customers are looking for opportunities, realise fully digitalised end-to-end workflows, in which production-relevant information flows automatically between all process participants: from PDF files to logistics. Together, we can then make the transition to efficient, flexible, safe and resource-saving production in line with Industry 4.0, which allows them the shortest reaction times on the market,“ emphasises Cardinotti.

Digital printing in label production

According to analysts, more than 30 per cent of all labels are already printed digitally. Inkjet printing in particular will continue to grow in this market. It has now established itself in a number of applications: Examples include small to medium-sized label runs for fast-moving products as well as individualised and personalised labels. Digital printing is also increasingly being used for smaller label runs that are produced with special colours, high data content or from expensive substrates.

Bobst serves this market with the Mouvent family of digital printing machines, that combine exceptional print quality with fast production changeovers, flexibility in printable materials, ease of use and favourable total cost of ownership. These machines feature unique inkjet technology that integrates the ink supply, electronics and mechanics in close proximity to the print heads. This enables high quality and accuracy in printing as well as full process control.

The OneLABEL portfolio offers solutions from entry-level digital label printing to high-performance production. (Image: Bobst)

With the Mouvent digital printing machines, Bobst offers optimal solutions for entry into the digital production of small to large label runs. With the LB702-UV, up to 200,000 square metres of labels can be produced with just one operator per month at print speeds of up to 100 metres per minute and with minimal waste. With a maximum print width of 340 millimetres, it prints on a variety of materials with up to six colours and white with 70 percent opacity. The machine processes rolls with diameters of up to 1,000 millimetres.

All-in-one/all-inline machines close the gap

Regardless of the growth in digital printing Flexographic printing remains the first choice for many labelling applications todayAmong other advantages, it is characterised by its particular flexibility, as this technology can be used to print on a wide range of different materials in high quality. With the Master DM5, Bobst has developed an all-in-one/all-inline machine in which conventional and digital technology form an efficient symbiosis. It is the flagship of the OneLabel portfolio. „The Master DM5 works with the latest technology, which was developed 100 per cent by Bobst, including the digital printing unit. This enables uniquely deep integration into an inline process that guarantees short set-up times, maximum availability and optimum repeatability thanks to its high degree of automation, and with competitive total cost of ownership,“ emphasises Cardinotti.

This machine can be used to profitably produce runs ranging from small to one million labels. At speeds of up to 100 metres per minute, the machine prints and finishes a variety of different materials and punches out the labels. Thanks to the digital automation of all modules, the Master DM5 allows job changes „on the fly“, in other words, without stopping the printing process. Another advantage of the compact machine's high degree of automation is that it can be operated by just one person. The feedback from users has been consistently positive.

High-quality labels can be produced in large quantities with the help of all-in-one technology. (Image: Bobst)

„With its high native resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi and the colours CMYK-OV and white with 70 percent opacity, the Master DM5 prints exceptionally sharp images, vivid colours, the finest lines and the smoothest gradients, while covering a very wide colour gamut. This solution closes the gap between digital toner technology and conventional flexographic printing with the cost-efficient production of large print runs with the highest print quality and ease of use„, Cardinotti summarises the potential.

The modular machine can be flexibly configured to meet individual requirements and Can be retrofitted with various modules such as a Delam/Relam module for the production of multi-layer labels.

Focus on digitalisation

With the DigiFlexo automation technology from Bobst, set-up times and waste on the Master DM5 can be further minimised. Cameras are installed in each flexographic printing unit. This enables digital control of the register and print feed during set-up and production. Another option is Bobst's ink-on-demand (IoD) technology. It saves customers from having to work with ink trays and doctor blades. Instead, only a minimal amount of ink remains in the flexographic printing units, which guarantees significant ink savings during production changes.

The requirements of the industries are realised with the variety of labels. (Image: Bobst)

How far Bobst The Master M5 and M6 high-performance printing machines from the OneLabel portfolio once again demonstrate how the digitalisation of the flexo process in packaging production has advanced. In addition to DigiFlexo and IoD, they can also be equipped with oneECG technology for printing with a fixed colour set and the DigiColor inline colour system with „closed control loop“ from Bobst. With its automation functions such as Excelprint for automatic job changeovers for uninterrupted production, Print Tutor for automatic register settings and control, and Print Tutor Plus for fully servo-controlled print adjustment they also offer impressive productivity.

„With the OneLabel portfolio, Bobst offers its customers migration options From entry-level digital label printing to high-performance production of large label jobs including finishing and further processing,“ summarises Cardinotti.

More news from the printing and finishing sector