Product category:
General Print Supplies, Services for Printers
News Release from: Stork Prints | Subject: Rotalen 5511 laser engraver, Bestimage software
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 January 2007
Laser Engraving System Buy For Label
Converter
European label converter Rako Etiketten has installed a direct laser engraving system from Stork Prints for high-volume imaging of screen cylinders at its Witzhave, near Hamburg (Germany) plant.
European label converter Rako Etiketten has installed a direct laser engraving system from Stork Prints for high-volume imaging of screen cylinders at its Witzhave, near Hamburg (Germany) plant In the short time since production began, the company is already benefiting from improved productivity, zero defects, quality reproduction and improved quality brought by the engraver's film-free workflow, it is claimed
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 24 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The installation will enable the company to image rotary screens with greater speed and efficiency, whilst reducing production costs.
Due to the sheer volume of screens used by the company, Rako chose the Rotalen 5511 laser engraver, which is dedicated to imaging Stork's nickel Rotamesh screens in digitally, free of film and chemicals.
Stork commented that thanks to the installation, the Rako has been able to boost productivity in the pre-press room.
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The laser engraver uses a claimed eco-friendly imaging process that involves the thermal decomposition of the positive area of the emulsion, leaving behind the stencil's open areas.
That replaces the relatively lengthy exposure, washing and drying processes needed when imaging the screens in the conventional way and eliminates the use of film, chemicals and UV light.
The overall process is said to be much faster, as Stefan Behrens, pre-press manager at Rako Etiketten explained: "With Rotalen, screens are engraved on average in between 15 and 20 minutes, significantly less than the 90 minutes needed with the exposure process.
We can maintain fast turn-arounds in a hectic pre-press room, where sometimes, up to 40 screens can be needed in a single day." Furthermore, Rotalen has provided quality consistency, said Stork Print.
In the first month of production, no defects have occurred on any of the 400 screen cylinder designs that have passed under the engraver's beam.
Behrens added: "That is a great improvement compared with conventional exposure, when some five to eight per cent of screens would have to be reimaged due to a defect." The fully digital process has ensured all labels subsequently printed by laser engraved screens are identical within a particular print-run - enabling the company to better meet the exacting needs of international brand owners looking to achieve no differences in look and feel for their packaging.
With Stork's Bestimage software, the same design can be re-engraved accurately to the last pixel, said the company.
Improved quality has also been noted by Rako.
The laser beam's focus is claimed to achieve precise positive and negative structures and very high contrast for reproducing clear, small text and fine linework.
High quality rasterwork is also possible thanks to the laser's ability to engrave at a wider range of angles than is possible by UV light.
The demand for screen printed designs has increased sharply at Rako, due to the need for higher quality packaging combined with shorter print runs due to the trend towards greater brand variations.
As a result, the number of screen designs printed a year has shot up from 3,700 in 2003 to 12,000 in 2006.
Extra demand for more innovative designs comes from cosmetics customers, for features, such as tactile varnish effects, marketed under the company's High and Clear brand-name.
Due to that growth, the company specifically opted for a screen-only system, as opposed to Stork's Helios 6010, which engraves plates and sleeves for all relief processes (flexo, letterpress and dry-offset) as well as nickel screen cylinders.
Given the benefits, the Rako team is convinced that direct laser engraving represents the future for pre-production.
Stefan Behrens explained: "Stork's Rotalen is the perfect system for extremely high volume screen cylinder imaging.
It delivers top-class, defect-free quality, total consistency and provides a simplified workflow, relieving the scheduling pressure at our pre-production stage. Request a free brochure from Stork Prints ...
Needless to say, we are delighted with the installation.".
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