OMET hosts open house and packaging revolution seminar
at its Lecco Demo Centre on 2nd and 3rd April 2007 Italy’s leading manufacturer of narrow web technology, Omet, opens its doors to international visitors in April when it staged a review of its latest equipment, and played host to a half-day seminar on the revolution that is taking place in today’s packaging market. Primarily held to introduce the latest versions of the popular Varyflex series, the Open House also allowed Omet to demonstrate its Flexy S press.  Designed to handle paper, self-adhesive, plastic film and light card, from 11 up to 400 microns, the flexo printing quality is high and the design concept allows different technologies to be interchanged between the various colour groups.   The Flexy-S is equipped with full servo driven transmission on each print unit that makes it possible to integrate, for example, automatic register control and remote diagnosis for Internet connection assistance.  Apart from the usual high quality UV flexo print capability, the Flexy-S also has a screen cassette that is interchangeable with all the units, cold foil applications with varnish, hot foil, and inline finishing for the production of all types of label. Cooling drums are optional features that enable the printing of thin, temperature sensitive plastic film substrates, such as shrink labels in PVC.  Delivery is to reel, sheet or ready to use finished products that meet customers’ requirements, while always allowing quick and simple job changes. In the few years since launching onto the market at Labelexpo 2001, the Omet Varyflex line has received notable acclaim for its innovative technology.  Designed for flexibility and high speed operation, the Varyflex is acknowledged for being easy to run and maintain, with good control for high quality printing.  Among its leading features are independent servo drive and printing sleeves, which give it the facility to run a wide range of substrates. Not content with its success to date, Omet like all good manufacturers, operates a programme of continual improvement, and has now launched the new Varyflex F1. “This new version is an upgrade of the machine that has already brought us great success in Europe, India, China, Russia, USA and South America and confirms the value of the Varyflex in the marketplace.  Our intention with the Varyflex F1 is to increase performance, improve the flexibility of its configuration, and simplify its use,” commented Omet President, Angelo Bartesaghi. The new Varyflex F1 has a sleeker design, thanks to the company’s collaboration with a well known Italian design house.  Its reduced footprint also makes it ideal for installation in even the most confined operating spaces.   The new shorter web path set on a lower printing frame, offers simple operation and a perceptible reduction in waste levels and off-cuts on start up.  Another advantage is that video cameras mounted on the front and back now form part of the new operator interface display.  This interface and data processing mean that all jobs produced on the machine can be managed and saved, allowing for a quick recall and reuse. The motorised, variable travel lateral register reduces process times for this delicate phase and improves print quality.  It is carried out automatically thanks to the innovative Vision 1 system and automatic longitudinal and transversal register position control.  Also worthy of note is the electronic jog wheel that simplifies and optimises both longitudinal and transversal register settings. As with all Omet models, the new Varyflex F1 has great production flexibility owing to its modular design that permits interchangeability of print units and finishing processes such as cold foil unwinder/rewinders, lamination, and reverse side printing, without the use of turn bars, via an overhead sliding mechanism.  It is even possible to fit a track above the print units to allow the insertion of attachments in any required position.   On the new Varyflex F1, the range of printing heads now includes a slide-in, slide-out rotogravure unit with a highly efficient drying hood.  The press is also fitted with a multi tension control system to guarantee the web stability of diverse materials from 12-micron film to high density card of 700-micron, and has a new independent printing sleeve control system. Each sleeve is controlled by new electronically activated brushless motors to ensure maximum precision and response time on variable print formats from 12 to 33 inches. The new Varyflex F1 also comes equipped with the rapid change anilox roller and ink pan system, with the option to prepare jobs offline, as well as the newly developed QS (Quick Sleeve) system, which simplifies the automatic sleeve air input cycle to reduce format change and work times. For folding carton manufacturers, the latest version of the Omet Varyflex FC includes servo drive, a new electronic web control system and sleeve technology.  Capable of printing with UV, and both water and solvent based inks, with appropriate drying systems, the Varyflex FC has interchangeability of units that permits flexo, gravure, screen and hot and cold foil to be used anywhere in the press line, and single pass production of carton blanks. The list of the printing and converting units that can be inserted on the Varyflex is comprehensive, and includes: infinitely variable print formats combination dryers, even on the same unit reverse side printing, without the use of turn bars rotogravure dryers, which can be positioned on the base frame or on runners above the machine flexo and rotogravure set up, with inch or millimetre measurement hologram transfer, for the inline metallisation of paper and card using water based resins. hologram insertion between flexo units, for the step-by-step embossing of holograms on independent tracks ink jet printing, which can be adjusted to the required position video camera for infinitely variable print repeats, independent of sleeve format post print conditioner for cartonboard, which can be regulated without affecting the die print register rotating hollow punch with the exclusive ‘Twin Cut’ system, which allows a varied range of hollow punching formats, with a simple change of laminates, without replacing the heavy and costly die print cylinders. inline end of cycle system and waste removal ‘on-the-fly’ cutting units, which enable various sheet output formats with the same cutting cylinder coupling, and with the same electronic format setting inline or offline output non stop sheet stacker with pallet removal lift for easy handling of converting tools automatic register control built in to the machine function display system for automatic task registering in operation, and major waste reduction The afternoon seminar programme featured presentations from leading international manufacturers of associated technology, including Alfatherm, who spoke about shrink materials, Kurz, who highlighted the latest developments in hologram techniques for anti-counterfeiting, Stora Enso, the leading cartonboard supplier, Asahi, who showed how to quantify flexo print quality, and Zeller-Gmelin the ink supplier. After a short break, delegates were presented with the means of web inspection and quality improvement by AVT, Karlville spoke about shrink sleeve forming equipment, Stork outlined the benefits of laser engraving, and finally Omet’s Sales Manager, Paolo Grasso offered carton converters an insight into the benefits of inline production using Varyflex press. Thanking the delegates and speakers for their participation, Omet Sales Director, Marco Calcagni concluded: “With the packaging market being driven by international brand leaders, we, as a press manufacturer, are conscious of the need to offer a package of solutions for our customers if they are to stay competitive.  This Open House and Seminar is the first in a series of events that will allow us to show our customers what is available from a working partnership with Omet.” For more information, please contact: Omet srl Tel: +39 0341 367513 Fax: +39 0341 284466 comm@omet.it www.omet.it