Kolding, Denmark – TRESU will showcase its expanded range of chamber doctor blades and automated ink supply solutions for consistently high quality and process efficiency in flexographic label and packaging print at the International Graphic Arts Show (IGAS) 2018, Hall 4-14, Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre, Tokyo, Japan, 26-31 July.

Additionally, there will be information about the Flexo Innovator printing and converting line. Intended for mid-web paperboard applications, this press meets exacting quality demands and is capable of speeds of up to 800m/min. There will also be presentations about TRESU’s coating workflow for integration with digital printing lines.

Comprehensive chamber doctor blade programme
TRESU’s ancillary solutions, comprising chamber doctor blades and ink supply systems, provide enclosed, automatically controlled ink/coating circulation, resulting in clean print / coating reproduction, uniform ink density, reductions in material waste and makeready times, and faster production speeds.

Central to the performance of TRESU’s chamber doctor blade systems is the company’s unique “Pressure Control Technology”, which prevents the occurrence of microfoaming, to ensure clean, uniform print on the substrate – even for high-viscosity metallic coatings. A key feature of the technology is a long-life rubber seal system that provides an airtight enclosure, preventing leakage and enabling the pressure of the ink or coating to be maintained at consistently-high levels. A liquid barrier forms between the rotating anilox cells and the chamber, preventing any air in the cells from transferring to the coating during production. The chamber doctor blades also feature fast, safe blade exchange as standard.

The chamber programme includes lightweight, corrosion-resistant carbon fibre and ceramic variants. Available in widths from 185mm to beyond 6000mm, the chambers cover all flexo printing and coating applications and ink sets. There are closed-cassette chambers for label presses, and wider variations for folding carton, flexible packaging, corrugated board and tissue converting.

An IGAS stand highlight will be the MaxiPrint Concept chamber for wide-format applications, in widths from 1600mm to 6000mm. Made from carbon fibre, and offering light weight, corrosion-resistance and easy cleaning, the MaxiPrint features an integrated cleaning nozzle with a robustly-designed water-shot mechanism. This ensures efficient, fast cleaning of the chamber and anilox roll, with minimal water loss. Featuring TRESU’s patented seal system, MaxiPrint prevents leakage and interaction of the chamber contents with the atmosphere. It includes the TRESU P-Line pneumatic clamping system for fast, safe blade exchange within just two minutes.

Also on show will be the new SAVEink chamber for water-based and UV-curable narrow- web applications up to 800mm wide. The larger-volume chamber profile acts like an integrated ink reservoir, eliminating the need for a connected pumping system. The chamber is easily locked into place, and is removed without ink spillage in seconds. The SAVEink chamber also features TRESU’s seal system and E-Line quick-blade-change system, which offer minimum press downtime for press widths up to 800mm.

Supply systems for flexo inks and coating media
TRESU also provides supply systems for low and high-viscosity flexo inks and coatings. Where a relatively-low pressure is required, the F10 iCon ink supply system regulates ink flow, pressure, and viscosity, ensuring a constant, accurate ink density on the printed substrate, without any air contamination. This energy-efficient system also provides thorough automatic cleaning, achieving a complete ink change cycle in between five and 15 minutes. It is ideal for common impression (CI) print, stack and line configurations, and can be retrofitted as an upgrade to existing equipment.

Additionally, TRESU offers a range of coating circulators and conditioners for high-viscosity coatings, where high pressure is needed. Conditioners include the TRESU L30i for UV and water-based media; the TRESU L10i AQ for water-based media; and the TRESU L10i UV for UV coatings. The TRESU XL5i coating circulator is designed for both UV and water-based coatings.

Based in Osaka, TRESU Japan - part of TRESU’s global support network - provides Japanese customers with a local point of contact for sales, technical support, installations and retrofitting programmes.

Tetsuo Shikai, managing director, TRESU Japan, comments: “As well the latest coating solutions for high-quality offset, we can also offer our latest technologies to the flexo print industries as well. Thanks to innovations at all stages of the workflow, high-quality flexo technology today offers a standard of definition, colour consistency, and sharpness that is indistinguishable from other printing processes. With TRESU’s chamber doctor blades and ink supply systems, flexo printers are well-placed to meet brand owners’ stringent quality expectations, and eliminate waste and waiting time from the workflow. This brings significant savings, and the ability to offer greater service flexibility -- such as shorter production volumes -- while maintaining margins. A visit to the TRESU stand at IGAS 2018 provides an opportunity to learn about these advantages at first hand.”

Flexo Innovator printing line for high print quality, fast job changes and sustainability
Product data and animations of TRESU’s complete printing lines and coating systems will also be featured on the stand. Another highlight at IGAS will be the Flexo Innovator press, for high-value packaging applications, which combines outstanding print quality, high production speeds, fast job changes, sustainable print, and an ergonomic design.

Available in several widths between 670mm and 1700mm, the Flexo Innovator is a custom-configured, multi-process, inline printing and converting press for folding cartonboard, paper, laminates and metallic substrates.

TRESU Flexo Innovator provides an efficient, single-pass alternative to labour-intensive central-impression printing, enabling the integration of water-based, solvent, and UV-curable inks, as well as multiple high-end complementary processes such as reverse printing, direct/reverse gravure coating, inkjet print, and cold-foil lamination and converting.
With high-speed unit-to-unit air drying, and automated ink supply and sleeve systems, the press provides a stable, efficient print platform at speeds of up to 800 metres per minute.

Sustainability is central to the design of the Flexo Innovator. Its many features ensuring reduced waste, energy usage and emissions reflect TRESU’s commitment to minimising the environmental footprint of flexographic print.

Efficient energy consumption is achieved with a unique gas-heating solution and a software design where servo motors run at relatively low power. Drying units recycle a high proportion of the air inside the dryer and, from the exhausted air, much of the energy is recycled by means of the central heat exchange module. The drying system’s temperature and air nozzle speed can be adjusted to the requirements of the job, avoiding substrate overheating or the need for excessive chilling. Chilling systems safely extract heat from the press to external condensers, which can return the energy to the incoming cold fresh air. Web-changing systems, plus automated register and colour controls, minimise material waste in the start-up phase, while the F10 iCon ink supply system optimises ink return for reuse at the end of a print job.

The Flexo Innovator’s ability to match the quality of gravure also gives converters a cleaner, water-based alternative to solvent ink usage for reproducing added-value metallic and high-definition effects.

TRESU’s ancillary solutions, such as enclosed chambers and ink supply systems and automated press controls, ensure uniform quality, minimal manual intervention, and fast automatic ink changes, and the resultant shorter makeready times optimise press uptime, especially for shorter print runs.

Integrated coating systems for digital printing
At the IGAS stand, there will also be presentations about TRESU’s coating workflow for integration with digital printing lines.

TRESU coating systems integrate with sheet-fed digital presses to apply added-value coatings and metallic embellishments to folding carton, papers and synthetic materials. Applying full-surface or spot coatings, the systems provide the essential link in a productive single-pass digital printing and converting solution for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage, promotional gifts, consumer electronics packaging and commercial printing applications.

TRESU iCoat single and dual coaters are available for HP Indigo presses; TRESU Pinta is available for Xerox iGen presses. The coaters perform at maximum speeds equivalent to those of the press. Fast sleeve changeovers and automatic chamber cleaning bring setup times to within five minutes.
Additionally, TRESU supplies a comprehensive range of consumables such as varnish media, tapes and sleeves, as well as cutting equipment, thereby covering every element in this coating workflow. The TRESU iCut 30000 digital cutter provides an instant means of preparing plates for localised coating situations.

TRESU’s digital coating systems are helping a rapidly growing number of printers benefit from inline gloss and matte coating of folding cartons and other products. With fast, efficient job changeovers, TRESU’s digital coaters enable printers to have a robust, highly efficient, value-adding solution for today’s packaging demands.