Mex, Switzerland - Leading innovation in the gravure printing of flexible packaging, BOBST is announcing two new presses at drupa 2016, the RS 6002 and RS 6003, each designed to address specific market segments. BOBST is also confirming the re-design of its entire gravure range for flexible packaging, a program which began with the 2015 announcement of the RS 5002 press.

Erik Bothorel, Head of BOBST Business Unit Web-fed, says, "The flexible packaging industry is becoming highly segmented, requiring geographically and sector-customized products. The RS 5002 gravure line, our first machine to address one specific segment, has been very successful in the emerging countries it was aimed at. The RS 6002 and RS 6003 are designed to bring this same segment-specific approach to other parts of the market.”

The RS 6002 line has new, heavy-duty, gravure print units specifically designed for sleeve print cylinders, and also features many BOBST software and hardware automation systems, including Registron^® register control and the TAPS fully automatic pre-register function. The RS 6002 is an opportunity for converters printing both short and long runs to achieve the highest printing quality at a moderate level of investment. 

The RS 6003 is the latest  BOBST gravure press to offer a wide range of printing and converting options so that users can create dedicated configurations to meet their specific production requirements. The RS 6003 is also the new press platform that BOBST will use to develop further innovations over the next few years. 

Giovanni Caprioglio, Sales Director of the BOBST Gravure and Lamination Product Line, says, "We see the demand for the gravure printing of packaging growing, particularly in emerging countries. The RS 5002 press is the best opportunity for printers, particularly in Asia, to enter the BOBST world of quality and innovation. It is a robust, reliable, high quality press The RS 6002, dedicated to sleeve cylinders, features a concentration of BOBST automation technologies that give it fast set-ups, and it is available at an attractive level of investment. The RS 6003 is extremely flexible in its configuration, and is designed as a high speed, custom-built press. With the RS 5002, RS 6002 and RS 6003, BOBST offers the widest choice of printing machines available to the gravure packaging printer, all built to our exacting BOBST quality standards."

Pier Luigi Ratibondi, Head of System Engineering at Bobst Italia, says: "Both the RS 5002 and RS 6002 press lines are built using our new platform technology, where single-piece frames are replaced by a structure using multiple frames. This new design allows for high mechanical stability and high accuracy in manufacturing. When using sleeve print cylinders, a robust structure for the print unit is particularly important to withstand the lateral forces generated by cones. Our new multiple-frame technology gives the platform high levels of rigidity, particularly in critical deflection areas. The RS 6003 delivers the highest print quality, at high speeds, and with a widest range of options, available in the industry. As an example, our Twin-Trolley technology is probably the most innovative system on the market for easy and effective handling and for reducing ink use and solvent waste."  

The RS 5002 and RS 6002 are available in 1200mm and 700–1300mm web widths respectively, and can run at a maximum speed of 350m/min. The RS 6003 is available in 800-1500 web widths and can run at 600 m/min. 

At drupa, BOBST is displaying a stand-alone print unit from the RS 6002, featuring the new MPI gravure inking system, which is available as an option. A stand-alone RS 6003 unit, equipped with both a standard trolley and a Twin-Trolley, is also being shown.

During drupa 2016, BOBST is opening the doors of its Competence Center at Bobst Italia’s production facility in San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy, where full RS 6002 and RS 6003 lines will be shown in operation.