Countdown to Drupa: Flexo sleeves to solvent-less lamination by Uflex
Flexible packaging giant Uflex travels to Drupa 2016 to showcase its capabilities both as a packaging converter, technology provider, equipment for print and cross-media solutions. The country’s largest fully integrated flexible packaging, Uflex offers end-to-end line solutions to flexo printing industry, both in domestic and international markets., Business
10 Apr 2016 | 4524 Views | By Rahul Kumar
Elastomer flexo printing sleeves
The packaging major has recently commissioned a state-of-the-art Elastomer flexo sleeve and flexo plate manufacturing line, lead laser at its manufacturing facility in Jammu.
Using the sleeves technology, fiberglass pipes are covered with the elastomer and then placed on direct laser engraving using CO2 and YAG lasers. The finished sleeves are later slid onto the air mandrels of the flexographic printing machine.
The advantages include joint-less printing (Due to the cylindrical design of sleeve, the print repeat is seemed less resulting in joint-less printing, much like Gravure.); exact dot reproduction (The elastomer material produces flat surface flexo dots at the top. These dots don’t get deformed by the press force during printing), and no chemical constraints (The property of elastomer is that it is least reactive to printing solvents like ethyl acetate, MIBK, MEK, toluene, etc.).
Elastomer flexo sleeves from Uflex will be on display at Drupa 2016.
Embossing cylinders
Uflex manufactures customised embossed rollers with ‘mega depth’ at its manufacturing facility in Noida. The cylinders are engraved on the newly installed Direct Laser Engraving Plant, which is a high precision machine capable of producing 3D pattern image over the surface of the cylinder. A dedicated team of professional ensure superior quality. In-house embossed proofing machine enables taking proof of the embossing image on the actual substrate.
Bespoke brand protection and anti-counterfeiting solutions
On display would be UV process manufactured Fresnel, diffractive, holographic and hybrid (combination) lens embossed films for both generalized patterns and customised speciality films in a roll format.
Packaging films combining prismatic (Fresnel) structures with holographic patterns in customised designs and shapes yield most creative packaging film options. Packaging designers integrate the dynamic 3D lensing and holographic effects of Uflex film to enhance the look and ‘salability’ of the final package. With the help of the latest recombining machine, Uflex is able to make masters with customised pattern designs.
Solvent-less lamination machine
At the show, the company will demonstrate live its Electronic Line Shaft (ELS) based rotogravure printing machine; solvent-less lamination machine and slitting machine.
Solvent-less lamination is an environment-friendly technique with negligible solvent retention, thereby alleviating odour from the laminate. This technology is widely used for meeting the packaging requirements of food and medicine industry. The machine is equipped with AC vector grade motors, digital AC drives for the coating unit, laminating unit and rewind unit that impart unmatched output and lesser rejection levels. Booth un-winders are fitted with forced cool pneumatic brakes to impart proper tension to the laminating film at all speeds.