In-Line Flexo Machine The Most Advanced

Advanced Engineering Systems (AES) has formed two alliances to design and develop the Hiflex 650 series of flexographic printing machines.

Advanced Engineering Systems (AES) has formed two alliances to design and develop the Hiflex 650 series of flexographic printing machines, which the company claims will be the most advanced in-line flexographic printing machines on the international market.

The partnerships involve CNC Design which provides Siemens motion control technology, and Sung An Machinery, the South Korean producer of rotogravure printing, laminating and converting machinery.

In AES's opinion, the Hiflex 650 in-line, servo driven, flexographic printing machine will answers the needs of packaging printers that face the shorter print runs dictated by just in time production.

It is claimed that the press's features will enable the printer to return profits on print runs previously considered non-commercial on traditional flexographic and rotogravure machines.

The construction of the Hiflex 650 will enable printing stations to be added at any time, as customers request more colours and more complex structures on a wider variety of substrates.

Subject to the selection of additional modules, the printing stations can be configured to print UV flexo or air-dried flexo, utilising both water based and solvent based inks.

Modules for rotogravure printing, cold seal application and adhesive and solventless lamination are also available.

As a result of the modular design, the press specification can be changed at any time as production trends dictate, allowing the machine to grow with customers' businesses, claimed AES.

Depending upon press specification, the Hiflex machine can be configured for flexible packaging or in-line folding carton production and a selection of unwinding, rewinding and in-line converting systems are available to meet individual requirements, added the company.

The Hiflex is claimed to be able to efficiently process long and short production runs, which is possible because of the machine's quick make-ready and low waste start-up.

AES said that, for instance, an eight colour job, with a plate change, anilox rollers and ink, can be achieved in approximately 15 minutes, with low waste, in-register start-up.

The machine uses a fully-integrated Siemens servo drive and control system, developed in Australia by CNC Design Pty.

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