Afflatus establishes first Think Lab robotic cylinder-making plant in India
A fflatus Gravures is the largest gravure cylinder maker in India, a state in which gravure overwhelmingly dominates flexible packaging. The company currently has 3 cylinder making plants in Noida, Chennai and Vapi with the fourth in Kolkata to be commissioned on 1 June 2022. The innovative com pany is an early on adopter – the first in the country to prepare and run an entirely au tomated robotic cylinder preparation, laser engraving and finishing plant which has been running since October 2015.
Afflatus has installed the Think Laboratory FX2 laser organization in its main plant in Sector 68 in Noida in the Delhi NCR. The modern building is well maintained and immaculately clean and the special area where the robotic FX system is installed is a clean room similar to what could perchance be constitute in a infinite meant for electronic assembly or microelectronic components. The FX2 has two main areas or zones A and B, each with its own atmospheric and dust costless conditions and each with its own robot in the centre that dominates the multiple cylinder making processes in each zone and also easily off the cylinders from one zone to the other. At that place is a tertiary space from which a unmarried technician operates and controls the FX laser system and too where there is a demote for examining the engraved jail cell quality with a special microscope.
The unabridged Think Labs FX2 laser system or gravure cylinder engraving manufactory consisting of the two zones is a totally dust free airtight clean room 10 metres broad by 16 metres in length – a total drinking glass panelled and transparent space of 160 square metres. In addition, there is an adjacent area perhaps equal in size for services such as electronic panels, ac and dust proofing systems too the chemic input and removal systems for all the processes that are required – from cylinder preparation, light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation engraving to finishing, coating and polishing.
The two robots sequentially and relentlessly do the piece of work that has been supplied to them by the experienced prepress Afflatus team based on the designs of leading brand owners and the gravure printers and converters around the state. Needless to say, the ii robots and multiple process machines and chemic systems are a completely automated factory – a synchronized manufacturing squad with a great deal of domain knowledge and knowhow that are built into the heavily patented and unique system – it has to be seen to be believed and appreciated.
Manufactory 4.0 in Noida – a quantum in quality
Being first, beingness an early adopter of this level of automation is at the middle of Afflatus Gravures' mental attitude and thought process. Vice president of Afflatus Arun Pandey says, "We empathize the limitations of electronic and mechanical engraving and also the direction that the gravure procedure has to take in gild to maintain its leadership in quality and to be even more economical and environmentally friendly."
Gravure print quality gets a boost using cylinders that are engraved on the FX2 laser system with resolutions as high equally 600 lpi being possible. The legibility of fine text and the dissimilarity in halftone color images is improved because the files are candy at very high resolutions and in that location is practically zippo variation in tone around the cylinder and across its width. With the better dot transfer of ink on foil substrates the halftones are smoother and pinhole free while the text and linework do not show any pixelation.
The new FX arrangement equally a whole with its unique and patented cylinder preparation and laser engraving system, can produce much higher quality flexible packaging results because it tin can create much finer cells with apartment bottoms. Arun Pandey explains that, "Cell depths can be reduced from 48 microns to every bit little every bit v to 7 microns and already in our first six months of operation, nosotros accept achieved fantabulous and consistent results with a prison cell depth of 12 microns."
Environmental benefits
There are huge environmental benefits in the Think Labs FX laser and robotic system itself and boosted benefits for gravure printers using cylinders with flat bottomed square cells with less depth. The implication is that the same density of print can be accomplished with much less ink which tin can be released and transferred more completely on the mod gravure presses that run at 300 to 450 metres a minute speeds.
Cylinders manufactured by Afflatus on the new system have helped printers to reduce the ink layer past twenty% and more is possible; the use of solvents and volatile organic compounds have been reduced in the print process and since less ink is being used, the drying procedure uses less heat and results in an improved carbon footprint for the entire procedure. The company is extremely conscious of all its waste and efficient effluent treatment has already brought two of its plants including Noida to nothing belch levels.
Afflatus is on the verge of opening its 4th plant in Kolkata. At the aforementioned time it is planning to put in its second Think Laboratory FX arrangement at the plant virtually Vapi in Western India. The plans for the coming yr include a 25% increase in overall cylinder production beyond its plants to a target of fifteen,000 cylinders monthly. Near all of its cylinders are used for flexible packaging although the five% that it exports are mainly for special applications.
As the largest cylinder maker in the land, the Afflatus team'south passion for quality is evident in its aspiration to take the industry forrad in terms of both quality and economy by its judicious use of the newest technologies. The new completely automated robotic found from Recollect Labs has led to smoother cylinders which has improved their runability and mileage on press over electro-mechanically engraved cylinders.
Both technology and automation accept helped in standardizing the procedure printing with no ink changes for the CYMK cylinders for multiple variants of the same product packaging. At the same the visitor is securely looking at several amazing innovations including the apply of Esko's Equinox engineering for extended gamut press that could save its gravure print customers considerable makeready time and waste matter – all part of its endeavor to implement new ideas with an middle to their practicality. Lookout man this space for farther developments as they are implemented and ready to exist made public.
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Source: https://packagingsouthasia.com/supply-chain-function/product-and-processes/afflatus-establishes-first-think/
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