SYSTEC flexo plate mounters and proofers for flexo printing

When Artificial Intelligence is added to Plate Mounters...

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 03:21:07 -0800

🇬🇧 Artificial intelligence is a reality on SYSTEC plate mounters.

SYSTEC has developed the artificial intelligence software called "Mounting Assistant" to take advantage of the computing and image recognition power.

The Mounting Assistant software recognizes the microdots and cross-marks and allows the operator to check the axial alignment between the two sides of the cliché, with a precision of 1 pixel (equal to 0.002 mm!).

In this way it is possible to have perfectly register and aligned mountings, digitally certified.

SYSTEC's Mounting Assistant software uses Artificial Intelligence to make an accurate comparison between the theoretical position of a printing plate and the actual mounting position. This tool can automatically provide a gap value to perfect register, thus allowing users to make precise adjustments and improve print quality.

The software has been designed to simplify and speed up the assembly process, making the work of the operators more efficient. Its ability to use AI to compare the theoretical and real position of the printing plate makes this tool unique and very useful for companies working in the printing industry.

In summary, SYSTEC's Mounting Assistant is an innovative software that uses artificial intelligence to improve print quality and streamline the mounting process.

It is available on all SYSTEC plate mounters.

SYSTEC, innovative imprinting!

🇮🇹 L'intelligenza artificiale è realtà sui montacliché SYSTEC.

SYSTEC ha sviluppato il software di intelligenza...Read More

SYSTEC to enter into the "digital printing" market

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 14:03:59 -0700

English 🇬🇧

The world is changing fast, and new scenarios open up new opportunities and demand new responses.

SYSTEC, the Swiss company active in the development of accessory machines for pre- and post-print in flexo printing (plate mounting machines, laser anilox cleaners, sleeves-storages), has always been attentive to the new opportunities that the converting sector can offer.

With the new models of distribution and sales to the retail introduced in recent months, new critical issues have arisen related to the management of minimum runs, production batches, and the restocking of packaging in general.

The problem of managing ever shorter print runs is making the management of orders more and more complicated through flexo printing, which inevitably has fixed costs linked to the...Read More

The Leonardo’s spirit in our machines

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 10:34:01 -0700

🇮🇹 Così parlava Leonardo da Vinci a proposito di un ingegnoso meccanismo dove una vite senza fine era accoppiata ad un ingranaggio, che aumentava di molto la coppia.

Era il riduttore con vite senza fine.

La tecnologia descritta da Leonardo trova ampio utilizzo nei nostri montacliche, dove utilizziamo due diversi tipi di riduttore a vite senza fine, in relazione al tipo di precisione richiesta dall'applicazione.

Nei montacliché della serie STAR-VP il mandrino è ruotato da un riduttore con vite senza fine, che abbiamo chiamato "Beta", versione moderna dell'idea descritta da Leonardo, 500 anni prima.

Il riduttore a vite senza fine “Beta”

Dettaglio del riduttore “Beta”, dove si vede bene la vite senza fine che lavora con il pignone a denti elicoidali.

Per i montaggi multipli o scalettati, che richiedono particolare precisione nel posizionamento angolare del mandrino, i montacliche della serie STAR-EVO e STAR-iTABLE sono dotati di un riduttore a vite senza fine ad alta precisione, il modello "Alpha".

Questo riduttore permette una precisione meccanica molto elevata, con gioco meccanico torsionale max. ≤ 2 arcmin, che permette quindi posizionamenti angolari precisissimi e ripetibili.

Leonardo ne sarebbe orgoglioso!

Riduttore "Alpha" ad alta precisione per lavori scalettati.

Montacliche della serie STAR-EVO

English version

🇬🇧 This is how Leonardo da Vinci spoke about an ingenious mechanism where a worm gear was coupled to a worm wheel, which greatly increased the torque.

It was the worm gearbox.

The technology described by Leonardo is widely used in our mounters, where we use two different types of worm...Read More

The linear motors technology applied to the plate mounters

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:25:47 -0700

🇬🇧 English version

Did you know?

Among our range of machines, since 2015 we have been offering the "linear motor technology" for the movement of the cameras and the other axis of the plate mounters.

This technology was introduced for the first time at CONVERFLEX 2015 (in Milano, see the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEux2TWqcWw) and INFOFLEX 2016 (USA): we were absolutely the first company to introduce linear motors on plate mounting machines (beware of imitations).

The linear motors technology

LEV-eMOTION is our "linear motor technology", based on magnetic induction technology controlled by brushless linear motors with no physical contact between the mechanical parts thanks to the magnetic levitation (this is the same technology used for the Maglev trains).

This provides an incredible camera speed (very high accelerations up to 30 G) in addition to perfect positioning accuracy. (tolerance +/- 0.005 mm).

Advantages

High-speed acceleration and deceleration of the cameras
No wearing of mechanical parts (because there's no physical contact between the mechanical parts, due to the magnetic levitation, Maglev)
Positioning accuracy to the hundredths
Digital Servo technology
Low power consumption (due to lack of inertia and friction)

The LEV-eMOTION technology is available as an option on all our plate mounting machines.

This is the link to the web page: https://flexo.sti-sa.info/vp-arrow-speedlight-cameras

For any further info, we are at your disposal!

🇮🇹 Versione italiana

Lo sapevi?

Tra la nostra gamma di macchine, dal 2015 siamo in grado di offrire la "tecnologia del motore magnetico...Read More

Register tolerance: what is the correct value?

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 02:36:06 -0700

The register between colors is a fundamental aspect for the quality of the printed product. But what is the correct register tolerance and how to evaluate it?

ISO 12647-6 connects the register tolerance to the print linescreen. The higher the linescreen, the greater the expected accuracy on the printed product. According to this norm, register tolerance shall be within 2÷linescreen, and it should be within 1÷linescreen. For example: at 120 lpi (48 l/cm) it shall be ≤ 420 µm and it should be ≤ 210 µm.

Atif Doc04, Check-Up procedure for flexographic presses (Rev. 04-2013), suggests different levels of acceptability:

good if ≤ 50 µm,
sufficient if ≤ 100 µm,
insufficient if > 100 µm.

How would you evaluate it? With a microscope, featuring sufficiently accurate measurement capabilities, the register is measured by checking some printed samples that are representative of a print run for the printing condition under examination (different substrates could produce different register values).

In any case, the register tolerance is a characteristic of the printing system that must be assessed and managed: a 100 µm register cannot be requested from a printing system that has 500 µm accuracy. The register tolerance must therefore be assessed during the system check-up and fingerprint operations and shall be shared and agreed between all parties involved in production workflow: printers can keep their production under control, prepress has precious information about necessary trap values and customer can have better and clear expectations of the final result.

EXAMPLE OF WRONG REGISTER:

EXAMPLE OF CORRECT...Read More

The new pressure roller

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 06:28:44 -0800

🇬🇧 THE NEW PRESSURE ROLLER WITH “NOTCHED ENGRAVED SURFACE”
A smooth and constant pressure on all the printing face
We've introduced in the recent past the new pressure roller for our plate mounters.
The purpose of the pressure roller, also called nip-roller, is to smoothly press the surface of the sleeve during the application of the double-sided adhesive tape and the plate, for a homogeneous sticking and elimination of the air bubbles.
The shape of the roll is slightly curved in the middle so that the pressure in the center of the sleeve face is the same than in the sides.
The bigger diameter and the new "notched engraved surface" make the roller softer and capable to press the engraved areas of the plate as well as the void areas, since the notched cells collapse for the nip pressure and can follow the shape of the engraving.
The pressure roller is the ultimate solution for both adhesive tape and plates since it eliminates the human labor for sticking them.
This new pressure roll is standard on the STAR-EVO mounters (motorized plate mounter) and STAR-iTABLE mounters (automatic plate mounter).
Advantages:
- homogeneous pressure on all the surface
- it is suitable for both the double-sided adhesive tape and the flexo plates
- it replaces the human labor for using the hand roll
In the video above you may see the using experience of a valuable customer.
🇮🇹 IL NUOVO RULLO PRESSORE "TASSELLATO"
Una pressione omogenea e costante su tutta la larghezza di stampa
Nei mesi scorsi abbiamo introdotto sulle nostre macchine montacliché il nuovo tipo di rullo pressore per la stesura del biadesivo e del cliché.
Lo scopo del rullo pressore è la pressione omogenea della superficie della manica durante l'applicazione del nastro biadesivo e del cliché, al fine di...Read More

The touchless sliding positioning for the plate mounters cameras

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 06:16:40 -0800

🇬🇧 A typical issue in any plate mounting machine is the possible misalignment of the cameras caused by the operator, touching or moving the cameras.
In fact, every time an optical camera is touched, the force applied to it generates a slight movement of the camera's body, that reflects into a very slight mechanical misalignment, that may, in turn, reflect into a considerable movement of the optic from the vertical perpendicular point.
This misalignment involves sometimes a continuous correction process of the camera's perpendicularity and parallelism. We've seen customers literally "chasing" the alignment of the cameras, on any machine by any manufacturer.
To radically solve this trouble, we've invented our "touchless sliding positioning”. The concept is very simple: the operator just puts the hand in front of the camera, and this will follow the hand movement by optical sensors that are recognizing the hand...
The idea behind is "the less you touch the cameras, the more they will keep staying aligned".
A fantastic and intuitive way to position the cameras of the plate mounter!!!
This solution is STANDARD on ALL our plate mounter, even from the basic model STAR-VP.
🇮🇹 Un problema tipico in qualsiasi macchina montacliché è il possibile disallineamento delle telecamere causato dall'operatore, toccando o muovendo le telecamere stesse.
In effetti, ogni volta che viene toccata una videocamera, la forza applicata genera un leggero movimento che si riflette in un leggerissimo disallineamento meccanico, che può a sua volta riflettersi in un notevole movimento dell'ottica dal punto perpendicolare verticale.
Questo disallineamento comporta talvolta un continuo processo di correzione della perpendicolarità e del parallelismo della fotocamera. Abbiamo visto i clienti letteralmente "inseguire" l'allineamento delle telecamere, su qualsiasi macchina di qualsiasi produttore.
Per risolvere radicalmente questo...Read More

The advantages of the automatic plate mounting

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 06:18:15 -0700

The interest in the automatic flexo plate mounters is growing, this is a fact.
So far, some player in the market is going on declaring that there’s no need to invest in automatic mounters, considering the higher cost of the machines and the fast cycle of the standard optical mounters.
It's true that the customers are all different, and they have different needs, so the awareness of investing in automation may change a lot from a company to another.
Nevertheless, the automation brings many objective advantages, that we can list hereby:
High mounting precision
The precision of the plate positioning is granted by the electronics and high-quality mechanics. In our machines, the error is +/- 0.005 mm, because the mechanics have zero-backlash and the resolution of the encoders is very high.
The control on in axis is managed by the electronics, with total digital precision.
Elimination of the human error while mounting the plates
This topic is strictly related to the previous one.
in the standard optical mounters, the precision of the positioning of a plate is depending on the skill of the operator.
Theoretically, a skilled operator will always mount in the perfect position, but the real-life is a different story, so it may happen that the precision of the mounting can be affected by the day time, the tiredness, the attention level, etc.
the automatic plate mounters eliminate the human variable indeed.
Reduction of the time needed to mount the plates
The logical consequence of the first two topics is stating the higher precision results in a time-saving.
If we take the time of a skilled operator, probably he is as fast as an automatic mounter, or maybe more. But... how long can he perform always at the top? Instead, the automatic mounter gives always the same digital performance, 24/7, 365 days.
Jobs...Read More

About anilox laser cleaning

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 05:40:45 -0700

The cleaning of anilox rolls is a topic for flexographic printing industry, since the transfer of inks made by the anilox to the plate which is considered by many as the heart of the flexo printing press.
When the anilox surface is engraved, the cells geometry is calculated to transfer a precise amount of ink, therefore the cleaning of the anilox rolls is vital for the correct ink transfer.
to obtain exceptional printing quality, it is necessary to preserve the quality of the cell geometry of anilox over its lifetime.
The cleaning methods
In the years several cleaning methods have been developed:
mechanical cleaning (sodium bicarbonate blasting, high pressure water blasting, blasting in general): this is probably the most simple, unexpensive and unefficient cleaning system. The dimension of the bicarbonate granules or other materials is not capable to enter the smallest cells, and so the cleaning efficentcy is poor.
chemical: this solution is quite efficient, but exposes the operator and the chemicals. Moreover it involves the matter of managing the waste of chemicals or their recycling, many of these chemicals can also be severely aggressive to anilox and can cause blistering
ultrasonic systems: with this solution the vibrations generated by the piezo-electric sensors are impacting the ink, coating or dirt breaking down the chemical composition of the ink. The efficiency of this solution in time decreases, since the ultrasonic waves need a perfect clean washing chamber. In addition even with this solution the managing of these chemicals, and their recycling or waste should also be considered, again many of these chemicals are extremely aggressive and can cause blistering depending on its chemical composition.
Moreover ultrasonic involves the problem of the cavitation (Read More

How to mount plates without cross-marks

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 13:22:15 -0700

This story is about a real application of the Virtual Image tool.
The story
PLASCAN SA, based in Telde, Gran Canaria, needs to mount several jobs with plates without cross-marks.
On these old plates the cross-marks have been removed after the first mounting, in order to remove them from the print.
These jobs are frequently required by the customers, including well-know retail chains, and the mounting of these plates takes a lot of time and many attempts, using manual procedures like the squaring of the plates to match them as close as possible to the original...
Therefore, with these mountings sometimes it is necessary to adjust the plate to correct its position, and so stop the press.
The Resolution
With SysTec's Virtual Image it is possible to mount plates without marking crosses.
This solution is very unique in that it allows the user to record the position AND a visual image of every mounted plate.
You not only have an XY position of the mounted plate but also a "picture" of the plate in that position.
So with Virtual Image the customer can save the images of the reference plate, and use the shape of the elements on the plate, e.g. the profile of the words, and insert the following plates in the proper location superimposing the new plate over the shape of the previous one.
Here you may see some real application made in Plascan:
a sack for Leroy Marlin, a 4 colors jobs with different words and graphic elements shall match
an envelope for cakes, a 4 colors job, where the list of ingredients and other elements shall match with the graphic and the outer frame. Moreover in this job the mounting requires a staggered mounting of 3 plates for each line, at 120° one from the other. Our mounter can easily manage the automatic staggering of the angle positioning of the mandrel, simply "copying" the job in the desidered...Read More