PackagingMag.Co.Za

1. www.packagingmag.co.za 51
JULY 2015
Converflex hits the spot
THE organisers of Converflex report great success
for this expo where packaging printing and
converting was showcased in its logical position
in the supply chain – alongside Ipack-Ima and
co-located vertical shows (Meat-Tech, Dairytech,
Fruit Innovation) and Intralogistica Italia.
Held at Milan’s exhibition centre, Fieramilano, in
mid-May, Converflex underlined the leadership of Italian
printing and converting technology, and was a magnet
for a significant number of visitors: over 22 000 attended
Converflex, 25% of whom came from outside Italy.
These figures are backed by exhibitor satisfaction.
‘Converflex definitely gave interesting results. We
obtained excellent contacts both in Italy and in foreign
countries,’ confirms Omet’s Marco Calcagni.
‘Converflex’s conjunction with Ipack-Ima created
positive synergies and ensured a constant influx of
visitors,’ adds Costanza Cerutti of Cerutti Packaging
Equipment.
Monia Savoia of Robatech Italia also comments
positively on the broadening of the exhibition’s scope:
‘We acquired many interesting contacts, with numbers
exceeding our expectations. Many converters were
interested in our Leary range but as expected we also
had strong interest from the packaging sector.’
KBA-Flexotecnica’s Maria Costantino is another who
remarks on the increase in business. ‘Participating
in Converflex alongside KBA Italia strengthened our
corporate image and underlined the excellence of
our products on domestic and international markets,’
she says. ‘The co-location and synergy with other
exhibitions brought a larger number of visitors,
especially from outside of Italy. We started out with
positive expectations and results probably exceeded
them: we had a good number of visits from current
and prospective customers, and even finalised
negotiations on the sale of high-tech eight- and
ten-colour presses.’
SHOWREPORT
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LUGLIO 2015 - PACKAGINGMAG.CO.ZA

2. 52 JULY 2015
www.packagingmag.co.za
Bobst Italia highlights gravure,
lamination technologies
The proximity of Fieramilano to Bobst Italia’s
production plant in San Giorgio Monferrato always
provides an opportunity for visitors to make the short
journey to see live demonstrations of Bobst gravure
presses and laminators. This latest Converflex was
no exception, and Bobst Italia welcomed 60-plus
converters during a two-day Open House.
On its Converflex stand, Bobst treated visitors to
a taste of things to come by exhibiting a print unit
from one of its most successful gravure press models
ever, the Rotomec 4003MP gravure press for flexible
materials – the same line demonstrated at the Open
House.
 On Bobst’s stand at Converflex was a print unit of the Rotomec 4003MP gravure press.
 A lamination demonstration on Bobst CL 850D duplex laminator took place in Bobst Italia’s production plant.
But gravure printing was just one aspect. Bobst
specialists on the Converflex stand were ready to
discuss the many solutions offered to converters in
the folding carton, corrugated and flexible packaging
sectors.
Also showcased was the extensive Bobst range of
services, designed to help users achieve optimum
production levels, expand their capacity, and succeed
in existing or new markets.
For those who visited Bobst Italia’s production plant,
gravure printing took centre stage. Here, a Rotomec
4003MP press, configured for shaftless gravure
cylinders, was demonstrated to show its efficiency
and output quality. Among noteworthy equipment is an
integrated washing system and a Twin Trolley system.
First the press was set in register using the TAPS
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3. SHOWREPORT
www.packagingmag.co.za 53
JULY 2015
 BST eltromat’s iPQ-Spectral system, developed in
cooperation with X-Rite, was a major drawcard.
 CLS PRO 600 – precise guiding by line or contrast
system, through a sequence that was completed
automatically in less than five minutes. Then the
machine accelerated to a speed of 450m/min before
performing an automatic splice on the rewinder at
maximum speed. The demo continued with a colour
change (from light to dark) before resuming printing
at full speed. After a few minutes, the press was
brought to a halt and the washing sequence carried
out, followed by a change of colour from dark back
to light. After another print run and another automatic
splice, the machine was stopped. These operations
were designed to show the efficiency of the Rotomec
4003MP in terms of performance of its register
control and rapidity of set-up and job changeover.
The demonstration also gave visitors an opportunity
to compare print samples taken from the machine
at different stages of the run – before and after the
colour changes. The samples were compared using
a spectrophotometer, which registered a low Delta E,
demonstrating the absence of contamination in colours
subsequent to wash-up.
The use of the Twin Trolley system highlighted the
flexibility it provides in terms of fast job preparation and
ink logistics, as well as savings that can be made by a
reduction in ink use and solvent waste.
Visitors then moved to the CL 850D duplex laminator
equipped with a flexo trolley. As the quality of Bobst
flexo trolley is acknowledged for its performance in
coating solvent-based adhesives on to thin aluminium
foil, visitors were able to check the perfect quality of
the output: a two-layer composite material made up of
7µm aluminium foil and 12µm PET.
These two demonstrations underlined the success
of these machines – some 200 Rotomec 4003MP
gravure presses are installed worldwide, while the
CL 850D laminator has a firmly consolidated position
in the class of high-performance equipment with
advanced technology and automation, holding the
largest market share in the two major markets of Italy
and Germany.
FTA Europe gets going
The newly formed FTA Europe used Converflex to
showcase its plan for coordinating the efforts of national
organisations into a cohesive working partnership.
Membership of FTA Europe, established by five
founding member associations – EFIA (UK), Atif (Italy),
ATEF (Spain), EFTA (Benelux) and ATF (France) –is
open to all national flexo associations and will be
governed by a board, supported by Intergraf and Lejeune
Association Management, which will create specialised
working groups and negotiate European funding.
Plans are well advanced for the 2015-2016 period,
with the creation of a new FTA Europe website, a launch
project to develop a European flexo curriculum for
professionals working in the industry, and a European
Flexo Award, scheduled for next year. FTA Europe can
also support member associations through joint advocacy
and collaborate in promotional activities, like awards, and
the development of a technical knowledge bank.
BST’s print monitoring and 100%
inspection systems
Considerable interest in BST eltromat’s product
portfolio was also evident, particularly the live
demonstrations of print monitoring and 100%
inspection systems.
This year, the BST eltromat group – with its BST
ProControl and AccuWeb brands – presented a
comprehensive range of quality assurance systems..
In the field of surface inspection, the iPQ-Spectral
system used to check for 100% quality control during
production created great interest.
Visitors also appreciated live demonstrations of
print monitoring and 100% inspection systems from
BST eltromat installed on two winders, while solutions
from BST ProControl for surface inspection and
layer thickness measurement also received positive
feedback.
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