With the installation of a BOBST CL 850D multi-technology laminator in the fall of 2014, German converting company allflex Folienveredelung GmbH & Co. KG, based in Aachen, has broadened its activities in the production of aluminium laminates for the food packaging industry and the confectionery market segment, bringing them to a new level. Apart from the superior laminating quality that the new machine delivers, its exceptional productivity has allowed allflex to reduce the number of shifts per day from three to two. The new installation provides allflex with the increased capacity that is necessary to support the company's continuous growth.
"The innovative technology of the BOBST CL 850D makes the machine suitable for all types of lamination. Therefore, we are confident that we are now well equipped to satisfy the current and future requirements of our customers. All possibilities are now open to us," commented Frank Heling, Managing Director of allflex, explaining the main criteria behind the company's decision to invest in the 1'350mm web width BOBST multi-technology laminator. In addition, the CL 850D operates at the highest level of operational efficiency to deliver flawless laminated structures. All parts of the laminator are easily accessible, which speeds up both make-ready and changeover operations, as well as machine cleaning and maintenance.
The CL 850D installed in the allflex production plant is equipped with three different coating systems facilitated by interchangeable trolleys. In addition to the rotogravure trolley, the allflex laminator comes with a dedicated trolley for solventless lamination and a flexo trolley, which is particularly well suited for coating solvent-based adhesives directly onto thin aluminum foil. Furthermore, a Registron® module offers the possibility of printing with in-setter on a pre-printed substrate. All these features combine to allow the machine to handle the widest range of applications.
The BOBST CL 850D is a highly productive and reliable machine. This, combined with high flexibility, output quality, efficiency and ease of use, enables it to cover even the most demanding requirements of the market with practically no limit to the creative design of the packaging. This is why several German companies decided to invest in a CL 850D laminator last year.
Thanks to its extremely accurate web tension control, the CL 850D can operate at high production speeds - up to 450m/min - using a wide spectrum of flexible substrates, with different physical properties and different thicknesses, to produce very high quality laminates with minimal waste. Its innovative, extra long, dryer combines two different nozzle technologies for very high drying efficiency. The automatic duplex winder enables fully automated bidirectional splicing at maximum machine speed. The machine operator controls all stages of the laminating process on the CosmoLine PRO user interface. The system enables storage of all machine parameters in recipes which can be recalled at any time for repeat orders, ensuring production consistency.
allflex took delivery of their new laminator in mid-October 2014. The machine was commissioned in the following weeks and has been in production since December 2014. "The CL 850D provides us with an excellent price/performance ratio," commented Mr Heling on the experience so far with the laminator, expressing the company's satisfaction with the machine's performance.
