Background
In flexo printing, adapters allow the printer to bridge diameter differences between air cylinder and the sleeve. Ever higher machine speeds and increasing printing requirements demand high-quality products. “In Russia, installations of wide-web flexo presses have increased considerably. Now there are more competitors, more machines, but no market growth. This results in a stronger battle to win customers. We believe that capacity in today’s market is limited in both the wide-web and label segments”, says Igor Ruschinov, Managing Director, Upak Areal. “In order to remain competitive, we need high quality products. For this reason, we rely on XSYS as a manufacturer of quality products and Itraco as a reliable supplier in Russia. A tour through XSYS production facility of rotec® sleeves and adapters in Ahaus and the close partnership convinced us to choose the rotec® Ω CFX Bridge”.
Implementation
Upak Areal values high-quality and durable products. “We use the rotec® Ω CFX Bridge from XSYS, because we want the best of the best in terms of quality”, explains Mr. Ruschinov.
The adapter with carbon fibre construction is particularly low-vibration and vibration-damping, making it especially suitable for high printing press speeds. In addition, the adapter is customized to existing air cylinders and can be combined with different sleeve types. Sleeves can be easily mounted with compressed air. The rotec® Ω CFX Bridge is significantly lighter than conventional adapters, especially with increasing wall thickness. “The rotec® Ω CFX Bridge allows us to produce high quality with high printing speed and almost no vibration. The waste is minimal”, says Mr. Ruschinov.
Patrick Lüdecke, Sales Director Sleeves at XSYS, explains: “Our rotec® adapters are lightweight and easier to handle for mounting sleeves. Each rotec® sleeve or adapter is tailored to the specific customer requirements. This often results in shorter setup times, easier handling and cost savings. Thanks to our worldwide production of rotec® products, the possibilities for our customers are almost unlimited. The market demands long-lasting and therefore sustainable products. This is exactly what our rotec® Ω CFX Bridge offers”.
Result
Mr. Ruschinov continues, “We previously used a standard polyurethane adapter and were, therefore, limited in print speeds. There were print jobs where we had to slow down to achieve the required print quality. When we switched to rotec® Ω CFX Bridge, the press vibration was completely eliminated. We are now able to do the same jobs at a much higher speed and still achieve our print quality goals. The printing speed is 400 m/min, which is the upper limit of our press. This has allowed us to significantly increase our overall productivity. We appreciate the cooperation with XSYS and Itraco. We not only appreciate the high quality product, but also the speed with which orders are processed, bearing in mind that these are customer-specific products”.
