In August 2016, Naph Graphics launched its slitter rewinder machine, thus making a quiet but well-planned move into the flexible packaging industry. The company has for over two decades been a leading supplier of web offset printing presses for medium-sized newspapers ,periodicals and book printers. This line of work accounts for well over 80% of Naph’s business. Its diversification into packaging stems from the stagnation the company anticipates in the periodical and commercial printing business in coming years.
Slitline 35, the slitter rewinder machine introduced by Naph Graphics, is meant for converting flexible packaging films, foil, paper, film laminates, paper and board. It has a maximum web width of 1300 mm, a mechanical speed of 350 meters a minute, a maximum unwind diameter of 1000 mm and a rewind diameter of 450 mm. It can slit large reels into minimum slit widths of 50 mm, on unwind cores of of 75 mm diameter (extendable to 150 mm. The Slitline can handle plain, coated and metallized films as well as film, foil or paper laminates from 12 to 200 microns, and paper and board from 40 to 200 gsm. Some of the features that make the Slitline 35 a productive converting option are a laser light beam used for better positioning of cores during changeovers; a camera-based web guiding control system; a vacuum suction trim blower with an option of trim rewinder and camera-based viewing of the unwind section for decreasing manpower in its use. The optional hydraulic reel lifting system; and a rewind roll unloading stand are both aimed at increasing productivity and ease of use with reduced manpower. A pneumatically operated shaft supports arms that facilitate quick unloading of the slit reels from differential shafts on to the reel unloading trolley. Controlled and supervised by an automation system the Slitline 35 comes with an automatic web tension control system on unwind and is equipped with a pneumatic reel lifting system.
The Slitline is equipped with three types or sets of slitting tools—the first are with the razors in the air,while the second type of the razors are ingrooves. The third set of cutting tools consists of rotary blades in grooves. The unwinder, slitter-rewinder has a digital web-guiding system for maintaining precision alignment of the web entering the draw unit. The web is guided by its edge and printed lines. Regardless of the varying widths of the slit reels being rewound on thesame shaft, constant tension is maintained by a differential winding system. Naph Graphics designs the components of their machines in-house and then has them developed by vendors at their respective ancillary units. The company
plans to increase its product portfolio in the packaging and converting equipment segment once the slitter rewinder gains firm ground in the competitive packaging market. Currently, Naph is working on a lamination machine to be launched soon. The company has been registering double-digit growth over the last few years and has also been exporting its web offset press lines to Southeast Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.
