Automated solution for printing machines

Having identified market demand for a value-added machine incorporating increased automation, Focus Label Machinery began looking for a partner who, as well as providing the right technology for the job, would also offer the on-going in-depth technical support required as part of a new product development programme. It chose Bosch Rexroth to help take the project forward. Industry sector manager for printing and converting at Bosch Rexroth, Chris Nevin, said: "By implementing a proven combination of Rexroth software and technology solutions we were quickly able to meet Focus Label Machinery Ltd's demand for a high quality automated printing machine. "By incorporating intelligent servo drives, we were able to share load specific demands between motors and drives ensuring the press operates at optimum efficiency and as a result, reducing energy demands. It also meant that we could minimise set up input allowing more consistent, repeatable results and provide end-users with greater flexibility to meet the demands of different customers, no matter what the substrate." He added that, bBy using Rexroth's Indramotion for Printing software with the servo drive hardware, Focus Label Machinery was able to use commissioning visualisation to help customers' move programmable logic controllers (PLC) towards parameterisation instead of programming. In-built screens are designed to allow control concepts to be visible alongside representative graphics to ease the commissioning phase and simplifying fault finding. Nevin said: "Using scalable hardware with intelligent software means lower cost hardware can be used for simple applications and high performance hardware can be included as and when required without having to completely rewrite the application code. "This is thanks to the software's modular design. For example, if a customer has been printing using just four colours decides to upgrade to eight colours, this can be easily accommodated with the existing software. Also, from the customer's perspective the print stations themselves remain the same, allowing for efficient production process when manufacturing."