The Soma Flex MINI UV press is used to print and convert high quality, flexible packaging and shrink sleeve labels in PE, PP and similar thermo-sensitive extensible substrates for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.
The UV curing system on the press comprises eight water-cooled UV lamp heads; seven after each print station around the CI drum and an eighth unit on a remote drum for varnish curing.
UV lamp arc length is 800 mm (31.5 in) and up to 200 W/cm (500 W/in) enabling the operator to run the press at speeds up to 200 m/min (660 fpm). The installation has resulted in the company winning a number of new contracts from the gravure sector and it has now moved to a new and larger clean-room facility.
States GEW Regional Manager Wolfgang Ziebell: “ We needed to provide a UV curing system which has the power to cure at high speeds and yet does not build up heat on the thermo-sensitive materials around the CI drum.”
He added “We have always felt that the market for full UV printing on wider web flexo would develop, and it has been a pleasure to be able to help SOMA realise this market”.
GEW offers a range of ultra-compact curing systems that can be fitted to any web press – rotary or flatbed, in-line, stacked or common impression from narrow to wide web models with minimal or no modification to the press. The company is seeing more and more of its customers printing and converting thermo-sensitive substrates. Heat generation is a natural by-product of UV curing and in order to protect the growing range of thermo- sensitive materials available the company now offer a number of heat management design options.
Petr Blasko, Marketing Manager of Soma Engineering adds. “The Soma Flex MINI UV press installed at CASIA, a 20 employee staffed, privately owned start-up company, is equipped with full UV and includes a corona treater and web cleaner for processing film, plastic, paper and board substrates. The press is equipped with our CDTS (Central Drum Thermal Stabilisation) feature that eliminates problems associated with press frame temperature fluctuations. Press operators at CASIA like the Soma’s user-friendly interface, quick job changeovers, easy roller handling and reliability. GEW was selected as our partner for this project because of its reputation and experience of UV printing processes and ability to meet our needs with a compact, cost effective system”.
Further from Mr. Blasko, “CASIA like the UV flexo process for its low ink consumption, no ink degradation and the ability to run process colours for most all jobs. The installation of the Soma UV flexo press has enabled CASIA to penetrate and effectively compete in the high quality, rotogravure market segment of the Czech Republic as well as in Poland and Slovakia.
To learn more about GEW’s water-cooled mercury arc UV system, E4C, go here.
