There is a specific area in the flexographic market where a major issue is the size and weight of the printing cylinders that are used.
It's the market of the polypropylene woven bags, HDPE woven sacks, and cement sacks where the rolls routinely can have a weight of more than 400 kgs due to the huge printing repeats!
The logistic required for moving such heavy rolls is very complicated and delicate, since it involves cranes, forklifts, safety procedures etc.
If you are printing with these kinds of rolls, I am sure you understand what I mean.
Also, the process of mounting plates on these rolls is not easy, since it requires a specific working station for the management of the rolls.
In fact, a standard plate mounter is usually not designed for handling rolls over 100 kgs, so there is a structural limit due to the weight of the rolls.
The simple operation of loading the cylinder cannot be the same like a normal mounter: the standard mounters for Flexo industry have the rolls loaded in the working position, which is perpendicular under the cameras.
This can be a very tight fit with the possibility of damaging the cameras.
If these rolls have been adapted to work with sleeves, this makes it even more difficult. A sleeve change-over of a 400 kgs air mandrel can be very complicated.
SYS TEC has developed a specific solution for this kind of printing process, the VP-HT HEAVY DUTY plate mounter!
This machine is supported on a very sturdy mechanical base so that it can easily bear cylinders up to 450 kgs.
The machine is outfitted with a sliding carriage, that provides a robotized loading of the cylinder onto the plate mounter, which allows for a very fast and easy sleeve change-over.
The sliding loading carriage works in two positions:
- OFF-LINE: the carriage comes out from the front-side of the machine, giving the operator room to lay down the cylinder on the supports.
- IN-LINE: after loading the cylinder, the carriage goes into the mounting position, bringing the cylinder inside the plate mounter.
Working sequence:
1) When the operator needs to load a new cylinder, or to change a sleeve, the sliding loading carriage comes out to the OFF-LINE POSITION, for an easy loading of the cylinder
2) When the sliding loading carriage is in the OFF-LINE position, the operator locks the mandrel journals with the hydraulic clamp that holds the cylinder in the cantilever position.
In this manner, it is possible to make a very easy change of the sleeves outside the mounter, in what we call the "OFF-LINE" position.
3) After the change of the sleeve, the clamp is unlocked by the operator, which gives the command to bring the cylinder in the mounting position inside the machine, “IN-LINE”.
This process is managed and controlled by a specific electronic system, that enables the step-by-step procedure and a safe cantilever lifting of the mandrel.
Another innovative solution from SYS TEC, designed for a process where the weight of the cylinders is an issue.
FULL DEMO: