The new device joins an eight-colour Flexotecnica F8G gearless press and an eight-colour Chronos sleeved gearless press all from the same company.
The press was installed principally to increase the firm’s capacity for large repeat work, according to business and marketing manager Lewis Taylor.
“We already had one press with big repeat capability but we felt we needed more capacity, and also we reviewed all of our existing work and looked at the imposition of that work and realised we could print much more effectively with a much a wider press,” he said.
“We do quite a bit of toilet tissue work and a lot of that might be in the 650 up to 800mm width. That’s not very effective decal utilisation on our existing equipment. If the job size is big enough we may decide we can print a job two across on the new press and run it in half the time. Its’ all about efficiency.”
The EVO XG cost just over £2m including supporting systems, and features a 1600mm print width and 1000mm maximum repeat length.
Alfaplas has been most impressed by the machine’s automatic impression setting system, which Taylor said had dramatically speeded up set-up times and was very user-friendly.
Also included in the over £2m spend was a JM Heaford plate mounting machine, and advanced video camera web inspection system and advanced data capture system, enabling storage of past job information, on the press.
The press was also specced with turret winders for automatic splicing, quick release pipeless doctor blade chambers, LEL automatic solvent control, anti-static equipment and in-line slitting prior to rewinding.
Taylor said: “We did look at three or four other manufacturers but Flexotecnica was most willing to meet our exact specifications and that’s what swung it. It was a bit of a no brainer for us because their equipment is very good.”
Alfaplas is part of the Sphere Group based in France, with operations located in a number of EU Countries. The UK facility supplies packaging to markets including tissue overwrap, beverage multi-wrap, snack food packaging as well as other flexible packaging applications.
