From: Converter-Flessibili-Carta-Cartone

Comexi Group: at Drupa introduced the Wetflex technologies

The new flexo concept from Comexi, powered with Wetflex™ is a flexographic printing technology showed for the first time at Drupa.

WetFlex is a technology which delivers wet-on-wet flexographic printing. It is designed to meet the needs of the flexible packaging market for improved print quality, efficiency, and low environmental impact. Comexi iF2 WetFlex flexo press uses the UniQure inks, a new generation Energy Curable ink technology specially developed and patented by Sun Chemical for the process. At drupa, the UniQure inks have been wet trapped using Comexi’s new iF2 iFlexocube concept Central Impression (CI) cylinder press and cured instantly by exposure to ESI’s EZCure-DF EB in-line electron beam installed at the innovative “short web path” press layout. Comexi has shown the new optimized EVertical EB inking system and, the system on display has also featured a state-of-the-art nitrogen delivery system from Air Liquide, a world-leading industrial gas supplier. The WetFlex process can be adapted to specially designed modern presses in order to get the maximum performances from the new technology. Under the slogan “Ready for the future”, Comexi Group show a wide range of new devices and processes to reach “efficiency trough technology”, being one of them the potential capabilities of UniQure inks.
One customer already using the WetFlex process and in the process of retro-fitting a second presse is Schulz Konstantin Druck GmbH. “Since we started using the Wetflex process, we have opened up a number of new business opportunities. We are now able to offer high quality, VOC-free low migration printing for food packaging quickly and efficiently. The process also allows us to comply easily with the increasing number of environmental regulations as well as helping lower our carbon footprint. In our experience, printers can achieve many advantages from a relatively small investment”, said the owner, Jürgen Schulz.

iCube Project: Printing presses for the future

With a growing number of new substrates (PE, PP, LDPE, PLA, ALU, etc.) and end products (POUCH, RETORT POUCH, SHRINK SLEEVE, WRAP, BAG, AUTOMATIC BAG, MULTIPACK, SINGLE UNIT PACKS, etc) a growing requirement for segmentation and positioning to cover new brand specs. (colours and POS differentiation), increasing advertising involving smaller and smaller runs. And that’s just a sketchy outline of the world around us.
Comexi, with its iCube project, has taken a huge step towards discovering – through getting to know its clients and its clients’ clients – new scenarios and trends and developing solutions to cover current and future expectations, even when they are as yet no more than feelings.
The iCubeTM project is the latest offer. A fully-modular press concept, able to adapt to every imaginable configuration, with a fully-integrated programme of upgrades and accessories. A new concept which will define the new line of Comexi printing presses for a new era. The iCubeTM concept (intelligent Comexi unified basis ergonomics) is a new range of presses designed to achieve high productivity/cost ratios, based on greater process efficiency, and energy and labour savings while at the same time caring for the environment. It has been designed following an in-depth study of passive safety issues, bearing in mind operator requirements and offering innovative and proactive solutions.

Efficiency through technology. Ready for the future

The new CMX if2TM (intelligence flexo 2) is the first machine to be developed in this new era. The iCubeTM concept applied to our successful Comexi FI. Hundreds of improved details to adapt to the new concept. Here’s a short list of just a few of them:

Printing Area
a) High-quality, improved print runs, thanks to the new, extended CMX MonoblockTM frame, available in 10 colours with improved anti-bounce effect and non-stop changeover, the first machine to apply the CTSTM temperature-control concept to make the most of new technologies like:
• New EB Flexo printing developed by Comexi, Sun Chemical and ESI, providing an excellent print quality never before seen in flexo printing. Following two years spent developing it, Comexi is proud to present its optimised EB process, which promises to shake the very foundations of flexo printing over the next few years. With a density of colour similar to that we all know, but with better middle-screen colour tones, thanks to the tiny dot size and almost no dot gain, providing better lineature and faster adjustments.
• Heptachromy colour separation as the new quality standard for the future of flexo printing, thanks to an improved range of intermediate tones, huge ink and wash-time savings and increased print speeds.
• New systems for direct plate engraving with higher lineatures, providing better designs through processed colours and higher resolutions than those achieved with rotogravure.

Productivity area
Huge savings with ingenious, innovative and simple ideas like:
a) New upgradeable robotised platform. Makes changeovers of work in progress easier and shortens changeover times, eliminating loads, effort and risks for the operator and the machine by placing the new revolver trolley to the exactly position for a slevee change and providing easy access to any part of the machine, from ink decks to platforms, from the unwinder to the container. All accessible with a single “click”.
b) New ONTOPTM double-camera video system on the last ink deck, reducing and simplifying run-throughs, improving register and pressures set up reaction and reducing wastage. Equipped with state-of-the-art Jupiter AVT video, featuring automatic recording of register and pressure, among other things. The double-camera system makes easy front-to-back changeovers in one second, reducing material run-through times. Finally, it boasts the new, AconproTM automatic adjustment system, giving a new world record in adjustment times and reduced wastage.

Safety and efficiency while working area. No human intervention means effective processes, reliability and passive safety for your team. That’s why the icube project gives importance to the processes automation. These are some of the new features:
a. Automatic reels loading. Faster, precise, space saver (reels service only on the front side, no corridors around the machine needed. A new concept for the plants of the future.
b. Automatic cores loading. A new success of Enviroxi now integrated on CCDTM (compact column). It allows the automatic cores loading in the unwinder.
c. Automatic reels unloading. After gathering the reel created on the duplex rewinder and next to unload a new core, the system places the final reel at the floor level.
d. Automatic register and pressures control AconProTM .& Cingular dot TM. Faster and more precise than human eye.
e. New vertical Excitink EB Selfcleaning, effective, compact and safe.