Economical production of the most demanding print jobs in package printing

W&H introduces a new flexo printing press for package printing: The NOVOFLEX II promises maximum productivity through high performance and fast job changes. With a speed of up to 800 m/min, the NOVOFLEX II belongs to the top performance segment. What makes it so special is that even the most difficult images and jobs can be printed in top quality at high speeds. Fast job changes and minimized maintenance and cleaning increase the efficiency of the system.

“The NOVOFLEX II prints even critical, potentially bounce-inducing jobs, such as those with non-staggered plates with hard edges, at high production speeds. And that without increasing the amount of material needed or using special sticky tapes,” explains Markus Bauschulte, Technical Sales Director Business Unit Printing and Finishing at W&H. At “The Future of Flexo” Open House at W&H in March, the company presented two jobs with high line count graphics and particularly hard printing plate leading edges running live at 600 m/min on the NOVOFLEX II. W&H achieves this unique print quality through an optimized design of the NOVOFLEX II: The printing unit is particularly rigid to minimize bouncing. Generously dimensioned bearings of the anilox rollers and format cylinders and a small center distance minimize deflection and vibration influences.

Efficiency even with short jobs

Job change overs are fast on the NOVOFLEX II. All printing unit components are easily accessible for sleeve changes. Automatic bearings and sleeve ejection systems ensure ergonomic, fast and reliable sleeve changes. At the touch of a button, the bearings automatically move to the change position. The sleeves or adapters are pushed out for easy removal by the operator. “This saves time, especially when complete jobs are changed by one press operator. The operator is twice as fast as with manual changes,” explains Bauschulte. After the sleeve has been changed, the bearings close and lock automatically – for reliable printing of the next job. The NOVOFLEX II can be equipped with automation and assistance systems to suit customer requirements. The EASY modules, for example, allow proofing in 90 seconds. With the fully integrated VISION quality assurance system developed internally by W&H, the operator can control the print production process at a central control panel.

New doctor blade chamber design shortens changeover times

The NOVOFLEX II doctor blade chamber has been redesigned to increase machine uptime. It includes the new TURBOSEAL sealing system with significantly longer replacement intervals for the lateral seals. Even with abrasive inks and high printing speeds, TURBOSEAL offers longer seal live and increased safety. “The service life of the seal is up to 10 times longer,” explains Bauschulte. If the entire doctor blade chamber is replaced, automatic clamping and guide systems support fast and safe replacement. “The NOVOFLEX II combines productivity and quality at a new level and thus meets the high requirements of modern premium package printing. By integrating W&H’s integrated assistance and automation modules, the lines are ‘Packaging 4.0-READY’,” summarizes Bauschulte.