The latest web press development from Edelmann Graphics, the STAR-Print, recently shown at IPEX 2010 in the UK, has been well received in the marketplace with continued orders.

The press offers 'Open Platform' architecture with towers that accept inserts for offset, flexo, gravure and silkscreen. The offset inserts, which utilize carbon fiber sleeves with bearers, are patented and unique in both material and design. This second generation of offset sleeves has been extensively tested in production before being integrated with this new tower concept from Edelmann. The inserts can be interchanged in any position, so the sequence of the print processes is completely open. Chris Davis, Matik vp sales & operations, "These offset sleeves are a different animal to what has been seen so far. The stability of the image carrier brings the high fidelity we know from the cylinder based inserts, and marries it to the total versatility of sleeves.  We have been busy introducing this new technology to high end packaging and carton printers, whose need is to blend extended gamut offset with the heavy hits of color from flexo to bring a real presence on the retailers shelf."

The importance of the bearers on the sleeves is evident, when the plate and blanket gap run together creating a 'bounce'. If there are no bearers, this 'bounce' travels and shows in the print. With bearers, the sleeves receive a mechanical rigidity which provides a better and consistent quality of print. As an example, a press running at 1300 feet a minute on a 20" repeat would experience this bounce 13 times a second. The sleeves are light and readily available, with pricing being comparable to the existing offset sleeves.

The STAR-Print is a highly automated servo driven press, with independent drives for each of the blanket and plate sleeves as well as the impression cylinder. This feature allows the press of compensate for extensible and very thick materials. The large impression cylinder provides a stable counter pressure for the blanket sleeve to ensure clean and even dots.

The advanced control system, offers several press and color management tools to provide a lean press with a minimum of material waste. Ink profiles, as well as other production data can be imported into the press to minimize lost time between jobs. Substrate presets will also be uploaded at the same time, thickness range is from ½ thou to 18 point, 26 point on a special edition.

Drying systems are available for UV, hot air, IR and EB, so water based as well as solvent inks can also be run on the STAR-Print depending on local applications.

The STAR-Print is available in print repeats (in inch and metric) from 24" – 44" with web widths at 20 ½", 30" and 36".