BOBST once again redefines technology and process support for customers by opening the first facility in the industry that enables converters and brand owners to carry out production tests and coating technology comparisons, certifying the results on site and calculating the costs related to each test from real production data.
More than 120 participants from different segments of the worldwide coating industry attended the event that marked the inauguration of BOBST coating excellence line and technology center. The facility, that includes a fully equipped laboratory, is a newly-built extension of Bobst Italia’s Competence Center that also houses gravure printing and laminating machines, in San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy.
Aptly titled “The ultimate coating experience” the event spotlighted BOBST capabilities and commitment in this specialized sector of the converting industry, while also offering visitors an overview of the current market trends and future developments.
“The name we have chosen for the coating line – LEONARDO - tells it all” explained Detlef Merklinger, Head of the Coating Product Line at BOBST and Managing director of Bobst Italia “Just like Da Vinci is the ultimate polymath, our LEONARDO delivers expertise and process excellence in all the different segments and countless end–use sectors and niche applications of the coating market.
If upon entering the technology center it is the sheer size of the line – it is 40 m long - that stands out before the visitors’ eyes, it is the technical and process capabilities that that are truly impressive: more than 30 different application methods and a modular drying concept with 4 different web-handling and drying technology systems.”
Some of those were put to the test during the two demonstrations that addressed some of the latest trends in the label and consumer goods markets, which they “passed it with flying colors”, as one visitor put it.
The clear-on-clear label technology demonstration showed coating of the liner of a siliconized 23 μm PET substrate with a water-based permanent pressure sensitive adhesive using a trolley with pressurized chamber doctor blade. Coating speed 300 m/min and drying by floatation technology. The trolley is a unique development that offers a wider coating weight range and minimizes the sheer stress that can affect performance with this type of application. The 20 μm BOPP substrate had been pre-printed in reverse with NC-PU inks at a speed of 500 m/min on a BOBST MASTER RS 6003 gravure printing press.
The cigarette pack inner liner wet lamination demonstration showed an 8 μm aluminum foil substrate being laminated to a 40 gsm paper with water-, starch-based adhesive at 500 m/min using a semi-flexo trolley and floating dryer. The demo ended with an automatic splice carried out at top speed. The samples showed a flawless surface and the on-the-spot lab test certified minimum residual humidity on paper < 4-5%.
All the while the data related to the operation were recorded and shown. The advanced connectivity features of the coating line have been another focal point of interest for the visitors, in particular seeing in operation the PowerNet system. This provides in real time an uninterrupted stream of data relating to electricity, gas, energy, compressed air consumption, and more, as they occur in the different parts of the machine and in total, in a way that shows exactly where costs lay. This helps users to find out for instance which is the best speed to run a job and save energy while meeting the required delivery time, or provide very useful information for the equipment motor maintenance.
In the fully equipped laboratory, all the chemical aspects of the produced materials such as viscosity, density, humidity can be verified immediately on site, providing real time results and offering the possibility to make adjustments to production parameters.
Further to the performance and capabilities of the line, the event spotlighted the invaluable advantages that BOBST can deliver to brand owners and converters from the technological and process synergies that can be derived from different product lines: from the production of metallized and barrier substrates through to printing and converting, featuring in-house BOBST technology for all these processes.
“We have been successful in rising to the challenges of diverse sectors of the flexible packaging, consumer goods and industrial products coating industry”, said Detlef “As the market evolves, we continue to add dedicated technical developments and extend our reach in the different end-use segments of the industry. The coating excellence line and the dedicated Technology center embody our commitment to the development of innovative coating technologies for future demands”.
To round up the overview on market trends, Alexandre Pinsolle, R&D Manager of Gascogne Packaging Division and the event’s keynote speaker gave an interesting outlook on the market trends and the future of packaging and industry recycling targets and circular economy, with special focus on specialty/barrier paper solutions for food packaging.
“This event has illustrated the direction in which BOBST foresees the market move in the medium term, and how BOBST investments are moving as a consequence; a very interesting experience” commented Rossano Lambertini, Business Development Manager of the SIT Group SpA.
“Sixty years of constant developments, attention to market needs and partnership with customers have established BOBST as a leading supplier of coating solutions. The potential ahead is compelling but so are the challenges in a specialized market that addresses the requirements of industries as diverse as packaging, medicine, security, electronic, energy and more” said Detlef Merklinger. “But we are in unique position to continue building on the momentum behind our growth in recent years. The availability of the coating excellence line, dedicated infrastructure and resources places us a step ahead to extend our hold in the global market, and with us, our brand owner and converting clients” he concluded.
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