Kolding, Denmark - TRESU’s F10 iCon Ink Supply System automates circulation of ink, viscosity control and cleaning of chamber doctor blade systems in central impression (CI) and inline flexo printing machines, thereby reducing material waste and operational costs. The system has enabled several of the world’s leading packaging converters and brand owners to achieve significant improvements in efficiency, print quality and environmental performance since its introduction in 2012. Tetra Pak, the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, has chosen to install the F10 iCon ink supply system on both its new and existing flexo printing operations around the world. 

The F10 iCon supplies precise volumes of ink, ranging from 5 to 30 litres / minute, at constant, predetermined stroke frequencies. The supply system maintains optimum ink pressure in the chamber system to ensure clean print quality and accurate ink densities are achieved, consistently throughout the printing run, at speeds of over600m/min. 

Furthermore, the supply system also assures an accurate way of returning inks to the bucket and fast, thorough chamber cleaning, without manual intervention. A typical cleaning cycle is complete within a matter of minutes, resulting in up to 90 percent of the ink or coating medium remaining in the press’s chamber systems returning to the bucket after production. This generates ink savings of as much as 19 litres per printing station after each job. 

The F10 iCon’s specially developed software reduces setup times further by storing each job’s ink recipe information, such as viscosity, flow-rate and pressure levels, thus eliminating the need for data re-entry when repeat jobs are performed.  

Christian Fogh, TRESU’s innovation and R&D manager, comments: “The F10 iCon ink supply system has proved to be an essential tool for both meeting stringent print quality demands, improving machine productivity and driving out waste in the flexo workflow. In an age of shorter production runs, therefore, the supply system is an ideal solution for achieving a lean workflow that also meets sustainability goals, by reducing environmental impact and facilitating cleaner, safer working conditions.”