Excelsior Packaging Rotogravure Press Installation, Yonkers, NY, USA

In June 2005, American company Excelsior Packaging Group invested in a Windmoeller & Hoelscher (W&H) Heliostar GE rotogravure press to cater to its rapidly growing packaging business. The packaging company, located in Yonkers, New York, will install the machine by the end of 2006, and it will be ready to use by January 2006.

Excelsior is the exclusive manufacturer of the SteamFast technology for microwave cooking. Excelsior Packaging Group is a packaging solutions provider for industrial use, food (perishable and grocery), medical and healthcare industries. Excelsior's investment in the high quality, precision printing equipment will add to its line of value-added packaging products.

Heliostar GE is a high-speed, 12-station gravure press, which incorporates in-line lamination and in-register reverse coating. It will enable Excelsior reduce its turnover time-lines and increase overall efficiency of its value-added packaging products.

SUPPLIER, MACHINERY AND CAPACITY

The rotogravure machines come in two variations and Excelsior invested in the Heliostar GE, with Ecoplus auto-rinse and cylinder / ink pan changeover. The Ecoplus module feature reduces the changeover times between jobs, especially small jobs. The machine uses conventional cylinders and has up to 12 print stations, a print-width range of 900mm to 1,700mm and an output of 400 to 600m/min.

Excelsior will be able to leverage the automatic job changeover system, which allows the gravure cylinder, or the gravure cylinder with the ink pan, to be changed in preparation for the next colour or cycle change. This can be done as the job is running to execute more than one order at a time.

ROTOGRAVURE PRESS

Gravure printing provides particularly intense, very fine colour reproduction, making it ideal for colour-intense projects. The printing cylinders carry more ink to the paper than offset printing plates.

Gravure presses can successfully print on any GSM of paper, even lightweight directory stocks, because less tension is put on the web and the gravure process subjects the paper to less ink tack and moisture than web-offset printing.

The W&H gravure machinery can be customized for specific configurations depending on the needs of the company. The modular construction approach means that the presses can be designed for any application. The Heliostar GE can be preconditioned for different materials, including paper, aluminium foil, plastic films and cartons.

The presses incorporate single-hood and double-hood drying systems as well as a jumbo dryer apart from web-turning modules for reverse-side printing. The in-line modules allow printing on lacquer coating or cold-seal applications. This increases the scope of Excelsior's packing solutions.

Excelsior found the equipment easy to operate as the rollers can be changed easily without loss of web tension and print clarity. This easy operation is due to the open-frame design. The blade position and angle can be precisely adjusted.

The construction of the press ensures perfectly clean, consistent print results that are free of marks or streaks, even when the press operates at high printing speeds. Depending on Excelsior's needs, W&H can retrofit any additional features to extend the machines' application possibilities.

ROTOGRAVURE PRESS BENEFITS

Excelsior will leverage the modern precision and hi-tech capabilities of the Heliostar GE to promote their packaging. Since the press ensures accurate registration, even during acceleration and deceleration of the press, the packaging company can provide highly visually attractive products to its clients. The Heliostar GE press provides the packaging solutions company with the flexibility to operate colour-intense, precision-printing capabilities even for low volume orders.

For Excelsior, the quality of print is critical to its success as a packaging solution provider. Flaws at any stage can compromise the effectiveness of the end product, which could mean dissatisfied clients and the potential for loss of business.

The laser-enabled pre-register system is another contribution towards faster press set-up, shorter changeover times and minimised start-up waste. This allows Excelsior to run multiple jobs.

The Heliostar GE does needs neither either bearings or couplings to be prepared for positioning the gravure cylinders within the print stations. The gravure cylinders automatically connect to the direct drives enabling Excelsior to achieve faster changeover time. The doctor blades and dryers can also be changed or cleaned very quickly and easily using a quick release clamping system which requires no tools.