Mex, Switzerland - At drupa 2016, BOBST is launching MW, a new CI flexo press range dedicated to minimizing waste, and 40SIX, a new, highly automated member of the BOBST SIX range. The two models of the new MW range have been developed to help flexible packaging manufacturers efficiently produce short or long runs respectively. The 40SIX, available in several print widths, offers fully automated tool handling which speeds up makereadies and considerably reduces the need for manual handling.  

The new models re-iterate that BOBST is leading innovation in the development of CI flexo press technology. Each is designed to deliver the excellent print quality that BOBST presses are known for, at high speeds and on a wide range of substrates. 

Harald Jasper, BOBST CI Flexo Product Line, Systems Engineering Director, says, "The new MW Minimized Waste presses maximize our best technologies within a compact and efficient configuration. The MW press has a small footprint and excellent print quality, and is available in 850mm or 1250mm print widths. The MW lines are offered as a standard configuration with a limited number of options that correspond to the main requirements of users. This also means we can deliver and install them much more quickly. Outside of the MW configuration, our existing 20SIX model is able to respond to every need of converters, so together the MW and 20SIX lines cover the whole range of needs in the flexible packaging industry."

Jens Torkel, Managing Director of the CI Flexo Product Line, says, “The 850mm wide MW 85 F suits the markets’ need for a medium web-width press with reduced tooling costs and weights for producing short runs. It delivers the highest printing speed in its market segment, at up to 500 m/min, and it has the most robust print unit available. It has a double upper/lower guide for the print and anilox shaft, and it has the largest diameter anilox roller in its category. The MW 85 F offers a new dimension in our industry – it’s the most suitable mid-web press on the market for printing both short and long runs without compromising on print quality. The MW 125 has all the features of the MW 85 F model, plus a wider width at 1250 mm, which means it also delivers high efficiency and quality on wide packaging formats and long runs. Users can also use existing tools and gain the efficiency advantages of the MW Minimized Waste platform."

Erik Bothorel, Head of BOBST Business Unit Web-fed, says, "The whole MW concept is about reducing waste and time during set-up. The combination of smartGPS™ pre-registration and pressure adjustment with print unit optimization that will eventually allow printing with ECG Extended Colour Gamut, means that the MW series will deliver the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry, along with the lowest waste and the fastest return on investment."

In the super-wide CI flexo format, the new 40SIX model, designed for print widths over 1450mm and up to 2250mm, delivers fast and automated job change-overs with safe and easy sleeve handling. The 40SIX is equipped with smartCHANGE a front "portal" and 4-axis automation system that completely relieves operators of the strenuous exchanging of anilox and print sleeve. A newly designed heavy-duty print unit features the first smartLOCK automated locking and unlocking system, which allows for the easy front-loading and unloading of sleeves. 

Erik Bothorel, says, "These new presses, along with the existing 20SIX and 90SIX platforms, confirm BOBST’s commitment to offering the most complete range of CI flexographic presses available in the industry. They delivering the highest printing quality along with ECG Extended Colour Gamut configurations when customers request them."

On every day of drupa 2016 an eight color MW 85 F CI flexographic press is running live demonstrations on the BOBST stand, showing a complete changeover between two ECG Extended Color Gamut jobs. Also during drupa, the BOBST Competence Center at Bielefeld, just 90 minutes drive from Messe Düsseldorf, will be demonstrating a ten-color 40SIX press, with smartCHANGE and smartLOCK, in full operation.