On 16 October 2019, the first day of the K exhibition, Bobst announced several developments among which, quite notable, is the new Vision CI flexo press billed as the best price-performance flexo printing machine for flexibles on the market. Visitors can see the new press n operation at the Open House event at Bobst’s Competence Center at Bobst Bielefeld, about a 90-minute drive from the Dusseldorf Messe. Packaging printers and converters are invited to go over to have a look with daily buses operating to and fro in what is a full-day excursion.
The initial compact Vision CI flexo is an 8-color press running at 400 meters a minute at the Competence Centre. Bobst said at its press conference that it has several fast changeover and anti-vibration features. The new redesigned compact series will have the Vision go to 10-colors, and then to Expert and Master versions that we expect will be more automated and faster.
The Vision CI is designed to deliver efficient performance for all production lengths on a wide range of substrates. Fast to set up and change over, it features technical innovations and automation that ensure repeatable process consistency, minimum waste, and easy production.
The new wide web flexo is claimed to bring substantial sustainability benefits with its ‘smartHEAT’ technology, which enables the machine to use its own heat as an internal and useful energy source, while its ‘smartCLEAN’ technology saves on ink and solvents. Furthermore, ‘smartKEY’ and ‘smartSET’ are features to maximize machine productivity by minimizing job set-up time and material waste.
New laminate developments
Sustainability is a major focus of K 2019 and at the K stand in Hall 4. Meanwhile, the Open House at Bobst Bielefeld provides an opportunity for the company to demonstrate its latest innovations in flexible packaging, including the Vision CI flexo press.
Bobst also talked about several sustainable laminate developments at the press conference, which it is displaying and explaining at the stand. These employ layers of single polymers, and with the use of AloX and other coating technologies are both easier to recycle and have what should be acceptable levels of oxygen and moisture barrier properties for many flexible packaging applications.
