At INFO*FLEX 2017, Tresu Group (Booth 201) will be presenting its comprehensive range of ancillary products for ink flow in flexographic label and package printing situations, along with information about its hybrid Flexo Innovator press. The show takes place from May 1-2 at the Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Tresu’s ancillary program, centered around the Tresu F10 iCon ink supply system and sealed chamber doctor blades, together provide a complete solution for automatically controlling ink flow throughout the flexo press – from bucket to substrate. This results in significant reductions in material and ink waste, setup times, emissions and manual intervention, as well as high-quality consistency at speeds that can exceed 2,000 fpm.

Tresu’s F10 iCon ink supply system regulates ink flow, pressure and viscosity from the bucket, through the chamber, to the press, maintaining constant, pre-set ink density values for complete production runs. When ink changes are required, the F10 iCon system carries out fast and thorough cleaning of the chamber automatically, and returns almost all unused contents to the bucket for reuse on subsequent jobs. With the F10 iCon, simultaneous ink change cycles on printing stations takes minutes, delivering significant time and materials savings per job.

The Tresu chamber program includes lightweight, corrosion-resistant carbon fiber and ceramic variants and covers all flexo printing situations, including printing widths exceeding 6,000mm (236″) often seen in corrugated printing. Assisted by the company’s patented seals and constant pressure maintained by the supply system, Tresu chamber doctor blades prevent leakage and air contamination, thereby ensuring clean, blister-free print results with fast drying characteristics, better reflection and higher gloss values. When doctor blades need replacing, Tresu’s patented clamping systems enable changeovers in less than two minutes.

For wide web and corrugated flexo applications between 1,600mm and 6,000mm, the carbon fiber Tresu MaxiPrint Concept cuts cleaning time and improves quality consistency. Comprising a closed chamber, an ink supply unit, and a cleaning cycle, MaxiPrint Concept offers fast, automatic internal cleaning, corrosion-resistance, improved print quality consistency and reduced ink loss.

The MaxiPrint Concept chambers feature integrated cleaning nozzles with robustly designed water-shot mechanisms, for a complete ink change and cleaning cycle within 3-5 minutes with limited ink loss.

Designed for new OEM solutions, as well as retrofit projects on existing machinery, MaxiPrint Concept is the benchmark for low ink loss, short job changeovers, and efficient cleaning.

The hybrid Flexo Innovator utilizes an inline configuration to print and finish paper, carton board, laminates, metallic substrates and unsupported films with both water-based ink and UV OPV coating media, making a highly versatile press. The press can be equipped with automatic inking and control systems to minimize operator intervention, setup times and material waste. Enclosed, automatically controlled ink circulation and uniform ink laydown is achieved by regulating the ink chemistry during the printing process.

Productivity-enhancing features may include inline inspection and color management systems; hot air drying; unwind/rewind stands, as well as finishing options like cold foil, laminating, diecutting, embossing, and rotary cutting and sheeting, to give the Flexo Innovator excellent flexibility.

“Today’s packaging customers want the highest print quality at the lowest price. That puts a lot of pressure on printers and converters,” says Scott Hibbs, president and CEO, Tresu Americas. “The Tresu Flexo Innovator hybrid press, and the complete ancillary program centered around the F10 iCon, save ink, time and money, increasing flexo printers’ margins and profitability. The ability to retrofit Tresu ancillaries with the support of our world-wide service network means printers can boost the performance of their press for a fast return on investment, too.”