Kolding, Denmark - The TRESU Group (booth 934), a global supplier of flexo technology, showcases ancillary products that enable automated control of flexo ink pressure, viscosity and temperature at ICE USA, 9 – 11 April 2013, Orlando, Florida. Product highlights are a new ink supply system and a range of chamber doctor blade systems that eliminate foaming and enable smooth laydowns. The products are suited for a diverse range of narrow and mid-web flexo, coating and offset printing situations. 

F10 iCon Ink Supply System

TRESU’s new F10 iCon supply system features a patented system for keeping viscosity and flow  control at constant, controlled levels as it circulates from ink bucket to anilox roller. This ensures stable ink density on the printed substrate and stops air mixing with ink in the anilox chamber, thus preventing blistering and ink starvation. Temperature is also controlled. The supply system’s airtight environment allows safe handling and storage of solvent inks in environments where solvent evaporations are likely. 

Other features include fast automatic cleaning after each production run and touch-screen operated real-time viewing. Excess ink can be returned to the bucket for reuse without wastage. The resulting minimization of  manual intervention in the ink flow is especially beneficial for central impression (CI) presses, where a closed architecture makes ink control and leakage prevention a manually intensive affair during the production run. The F10 iCon Ink Supply System is 1000mm height x 500mm in both width and depth and has a flow range of 5 to 30 litres / minute.

Chamber Doctor Blade Systems

TRESU’s chamber doctor blade systems enable direct transfer of the ink or coating to the cells of the anilox roll. This simple process requires minimal manual intervention because the anilox cell volume determines ink / coating laydown, ensuring consistent results. 

Benefits include increased gloss values for better reflection and more efficient drying because the whole substrate area needs the same energy to dry. Ability to achieve consistent ink laydowns allows improvement of ink yields by up to a fifth compared with double-roller doctor blade alternatives. 

TRESU’s systems also enable accurate pressure control and efficient temperature regulation. They include a proprietary, patented rubber Seal System, forming a perfect, airtight closure. This prevents leakage at top speeds and allows leftover ink to be stored for long periods without evaporation or perishing. The sealed and pressure-controlled environment of TRESU’s chamber doctor blade system prevents air-bubbles from anilox roll cells from mixing with the ink and causing microfoaming. As a result, blister-free print is possible at high speeds. The system features the company’s ‘E-Line’ doctor blade-changing system enables blades to be slotted into position and released safely, within one minute, by a clamp.  TRESU highlights three chamber doctor blade systems at the show.

FlexiPrint IMW E-Line

The FlexiPrint IMW E-Line Chamber Doctor Blade System is designed for smooth, defect-free, splash-free laydowns of solvent-, water- or UV-inks on virtually all paper, folding carton and film substrates. The unit has an ink volume of between 1.35l/m and 2.2l/m depending on chamber size, and is suitable for anilox diameters between 64mm and 250mm, web-widths up to 1800mm and printing speeds up to 500m/min.

FlexiPrint Reservoir

The FlexiPrint Reservoir Chamber Doctor Blade System has a ‘closed cassette’ design. For UV and water-based inks and has no moving parts and works without a pump. With minimum volume requirements only 0.2 litres, FlexiPrint Combi is built for anilox lengths up to 800mm and anilox diameters ranging from 64mm to 150mm.

Offset Coating Concept

For sheet- and web-offset printing applications, TRESU has launched its Offset Coating Concept. This comprises the TRESU UniPrint Combi chamber doctor blade E-line and TRESU Coating Circulator and a TRESU Coating Conditioner. This system enables sheet-fed and web offset printers to coat printed products at faster speeds, without micro-foaming. It is suitable for all possible anilox roll up to 1200mm wide and between 80mm and 250mm in diameter, and at print speeds of up to 300m/min or 18,000 sheets per hour. The circulator automatically adjusts to the coating supply and initiates either a 6-minute or intensive 12-minute cleaning program, enabling fast job changes. 

“The proliferation of and increased demand for speciality inks and coatings has made the uniform, smooth lay-down of flexographic inks and coatings a more challenging affair.  TRESU chamber doctor blade technology offers a universal solution that gives assurance of smooth results at high print speeds, safety and minimum make-ready time,” says Henrik Kristensen. 

TRESU has partnerships with several of the world's leading flexo and offset press makers, developing a wide range of auxiliary products for narrow-, mid- and wide-web printing and coating situations. The company has also recently launched TRESU Webshop, so customers can order original ancillary and spare parts as well as consumables directly and at highly competitive prices with authenticity guaranteed.