FPLUS

FLEXO PRINTING LAMINATING SLITTING ENVIRONMENT & LOGISTICS

CI FLEXO PRINTING

OPEN YOUR MIND

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COMEXI GROUP, ALWAYS AT YOUR SIDE

Comexi and its holding company COMEXI GROUP were set up as a business venture guided by a spirit of excellence.

Our nature as a family business moulds our values and gives our Group a founding legacy in order to sustainably forge ahead with an outlook on the long term. Our strategy is to be a leader supplier of machinery and services to the flexible packaging converting industry, with a high degree of specialization in each of our product lines (printing, lamination, cutting and rewinding and logistical and environmental solutions). These lines complement one another in order to offer total solutions and exploit synergies to the fullest. Comexi Group constantly seeks excellence to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Our philosophy embraces constant adaptation to the demands of our customers. In 1989 we developed the first 8-color CNC flexo press, because you needed it. That same press provided a new level of printing quality and created new business opportunities for flexographic converters.

In 2000, we launched the world’s first 10-color gearless machine,

Flexibility in flexo is the ability to quickly adapt to market demands and obtain the right economic results.which represented a quantum leap for the industry. Once again we listened to you, learned from you, and created what you needed.

In 2004, FI and FW model presses were presented at Drupa and K which represented a significant progress in the performance of Comexi presses. These models have been evolving to this day in order to adapt to our customers’ needs.

In 2006, Comexi Group again shocked the market with the debut of EB (electron beam) Flexo printing. Because you needed a differential process, high printing quality and minimum environmental impact, we created EB Flexo for you.

In 2009, we launched the FPLUS product range. This new development addresses the needs of converters working with a wide range of print formats and requiring high performance at a very competitive price.

During Open House 2010, the F4 FLEXOEfficiency® concept was presented. This newly developed technology includes, on the one hand, the tendency of the flexo market to short jobs; and on the other hand, the business expansion by facilitating the entry to

the label market. The elimination of photo initiators through eCOMEXI® solutions (www.ecomexi.com) which utilizes EB Flexo technology in high performance flexographic printing is another possibility offered by this product range.

Our customers are well-supported through our extensive sales network that includes branch offices in five countries, a manufacturing facility in Brazil and sales representatives in more than 65 countries.

For more than 50 years we have been at your side, participating in the growth of your business. Your future growth is in your hands.

DEVELOPING NEW MARKETS

The FPLUS press is capable of printing print repeats of up to 1,100 mm which makes it possible to combine traditional food markets that have a much lesser degree of print repeats with others that are rapidly growing.

FLEXIBILITY

The new concept of clamps and frames minimizes vibrations even at very high printing speeds and offers quick job changes. From the control screen, moving printing decks is done automatically as well as the register and pressure set up procedures (CINGULAR DOT2), thus reducing waste generated during the work set up process.

These features make FPLUS the perfect machine for medium and long runs in the large format market.

- These days, many industries view printing as a “commodity”, a view which requires the development of new markets in order to escape the price wars.

- There is a trend towards reducing the run lengths.

- Customers demand easier operation of flexo presses, an ongoing process of improvement and the perpetual challenge in our line of business. MARKET

- Customers ask that we establish sustainable processes to reduce the carbon footprint impact.

- Customers desire harmonization of the flexographic printing processes, making them more predictable.

FLEXIBILITY IN FLEXO

SUSTAINABILITY

eCOMEXI® solutions (www.ecomexi.com), especially EB flexo printing with electron beam inks, have been the most important technological advances over the past few years. Zero emissions. No environmental impact. A step towards sustainability.

COMEXI GROUP, ready for

the future

WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE PRINTING INDUSTRY? WE ASKED, WE LISTENED AND THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD:

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CI FLEXO PRINTING

FLEXIBILITY

EASY MAINTENANCE

GREATER PRODUCTIVITY

NEW MARKETS

FPLUS

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The new printing body has been fully redesigned, with a new frame, new bearing caps for printing plate shaft and anilox rolls supports. The engineering team has designed a reinforced cast frame with a closed structure capable of delivering a top accuracy and printing quality at the maximum speed of 500 mpm/1640 ftpm. A totally new design was created with the use of state-of-the-art technologies, in order to face the challenges of new printing repeats and greater printing widths.

FPLUS offers configurations of 8 or 10 printing decks mounted in a radial pattern around a central drum.

The manual opening clamps are counterweighted and supported on a twin lateral guide, offering a smooth operation when changing sleeves and a solid support surface during the printing process.

Every printing deck’s contact/separation movement is controlled via servomotors through a new preloaded ball screw system specially designed to withstand the most adverse industrial conditions. This eliminates all hydraulic fixing and blocking mechanisms. The highest precision electronics are incorporated in the unit with encoders used on each motor. Additionally, the structure’s strength has been enhanced with preloaded linear guides.

These design enhancements improve the pressure control on the plate and result in the highest quality print possible.

Comexi’s technological innovation and development offer you the most cutting-edge technologies in flexographic press design, such as our MONOBLOCK® frame concept – a technology that permits integration of the printing decks in the resilient frame for a complete integration of components, minimizing vibration and consequently improving print quality.

PRINTING BODY: PRINTING DECKS

MONOBLOCK® PR

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PRINTING BODY: A HEART OF STRENGTH

Side view of printing decks

Front view of printing decks

Printing body and Monoblock frame

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CENTRAL DRUM: THE STRATEGIC ELEMENT

No other flexo press manufacturer so strictly controls the manufacturing process of this highly important component. Comexi dedicates part of its industrial process to the manufacture and quality control of the central drum, as part of our policy to internally manufacture the key components of our flexo presses.

During this industrial process, the drum is stabilized, balanced and adjusted to the tightest tolerances in the market. These adjustments are conducted at working temperature maintained via an internal temperature stabilization circuit. Stabilization is conducted at 30ºC/86ºF via an automatic system integrated into the press. Additionally, an anti-corrosive Hastalloy coating is applied to the central drum to protect it against oxidation.

DDDrive®View of the central drum and systems of control

Not all “gearless” systems are created equal. The VIRTUALMaster® technology – used by Comexi throughout our entire product range – unites all motors electronically and controls them via a common virtual signal that ensures registration even during the machine’s acceleration and braking stages.

In a typical system, the motor position adjustment requires a reference signal obtained from an encoder located on a reference shaft (True Master). This type of system has two important disadvantages. First, any reading error from the reference signal is transmitted to the rest of the shafts that are synchronized to it. Second, the true signals include a set of delays in the readings and retransmission of the signals, which imply deviations between the master shaft and the

VIRTUALMASTER®: THE ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

Machine’s acceleration Precision

- Perfectly aligns the material’s surface speeds, the plate and the anilox, improving print quality.

- Performs direct, automatic and rapid positioning of longitudinal registration between printing decks, decreasing the waste generated in adjustment.

synchronized shafts. The consequence of these two disadvantages is variation in machine speed.

These two disadvantages are solved with the patented VIRTUALMaster® system, which generates a virtual signal, created digitally by the Motion Control Processor (MCP). The virtual signal is transmitted to all the shafts simultaneously, thereby eliminating the concept of a “master” shaft. In this way, the signal is generated without errors and consequently without affecting the rest of the synchronized shafts.

- Regulates and memorizes longitudinal registration positions for future runs, which saves time in adjustments prior to print runs.

- Can slightly vary the plate and anilox speeds in relation to material speed, in order to specifically and exactly adapt the tolerances of print repeats.

ADVANTAGES

VIRTUALMaster®

VIRTUALMASTER® ALSO PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

Actuation is another key area in which Comexi relies on the most sophisticated technology. In a joint effort with Siemens, we have integrated the DDDrive® Gearless, CNC and the pre-positioning servomotors into the only technology platform in the market based on the SIMOTION control system. This “direct-drive” system is the most advanced in the market, reaching the highest levels of precision and eliminating all types of mechanical transfer (e.g., belts or gears).

DDDrive® controls the motor via a high-resolution hollow shaft encoder, directly coupled to the drum axle. The encoder is designed for easy access, which makes maintenance easy.

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CHANGING SLEEVES: SIMPLICITY IN LARGE WIDTHS AND FORMATS

Changing anilox and plate cylinder sleeves is quick regardless of the widths and formats of the press. The clamps are opened manually, simply and quickly.

The plate and anilox shafts are held in place on one end by conical roller bearings and on the other end by double needle bearings with an inside diameter of 85 mm/3.35 in. This positioning of bearings allows for a cantilever suspension which is necessary at the time changes are undergone. It also provides a much higher degree of rigidity as compared to traditional needle bearing devices.

Comexi also utilizes DDDrive® technology for shaft actuation via alternating current motors with no mechanical transfer, controlled by absolute encoders also directly coupled to the shafts. These technological advancements improve registration and therefore the quality of printing.

Xtrac®Changing sleeve plate

View of Xtrac® for an easy job changeover

In order to make the changing and printing process more flexible, going from a print to a non-print position can be done individually for each printing deck or simultaneously for all printing decks and synchronized with the stop and go of the machine and with the automatic changes of the unwinder.

Additionally, the unit integrates different models of lift platforms to simplify changing sleeves, especially those that are high up.

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DOCTOR BLADE: ACCURACY AND FAST CHANGEOVERS

The doctor blade is assembled in a closed swinging chamber mounted on linear guides. It moves across horizontally thanks to a pneumatic piston and it has manual fine adjustment against the anilox. The system has been specially designed to maintain the inking position with a minimum blade pressure against the anilox.

Changing the blade is fast and safe thanks to the patented MAGNETBlade® technology consisting of a tool-free magnetic changing system. Changing the shutters is also conducted without tools so that changes can be completed quickly on or outside the machine.

Remote control

Extraction of blade

DRYING: POWER AT ANY SPEED

The new drying system is based on 9 new intercolour screens. It has a specific lip design that allows for an air speed of up to 50 m/s and an air flow of up to 6,500 m3/h without recirculation. In addition, we have developed a new tunnel with a completely new design in order to offer greater performance features (up to 10,500 m3/h and an air flow of 45 m/s through the 16 lips installed on the 5-metre long surface, assisted by 4 fans). The tunnel’s structure is 15 mm/ 0.6 in thick, thus improving the unit’s resistance, accessibility and efficiency and increasing the degree of thermal and acoustic insulation. Some of the novelties are right inside the unit. Its new twin flat belts are used to motorize the material transfer rolls, achieving a soft contact with the substrate and a silent operation, with low maintenance requirements and an accurate and long-lasting alignment.

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Detail of drying tunnelDetail of drying between colors

DRYING

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UNWINDERS AND REWINDERS: HIGH-PERFORMANCE AUTOMATIC CHANGES

The FPLUS configuration is equipped with automatic change unwinders and rewinders which improve the efficiency of job changeovers.

Additionally, the press is equipped with a high-sensitivity pneumatic compensator and electronic equipment to tension control, capable of controlling a wide range of materials.

During the change and rotation process, a splicing device composed of a rubber roll and a pneumatic cutting knife guarantees a non-stop printing process at high speeds.

The turn direction is reversible, capable of unwinding or rewinding in both directions, thus allowing printing on both sides of the material.

SIMOTION AND THE CONTROL CONSOLE: THE BRAIN OF THE MACHINE

The FPLUS press is designed so that most functions can be controlled from the control console. Similarly, the SIMOTION platform simplifies maintenance tasks thanks to its high degree of electronic integration.

Many operations can be conducted through the display, such as advancing/reversing the printing decks, placing all accessories in operation, tension selection, machine speed and temperatures, inserting change orders at a pre-established footage, operations, etc.

Additionally, production data can be obtained for later analysis, such as the quantity of quality footage, the quantity of lost footage, working time, downtime, printing time, average real speed, and more.By assigning the reasons for downtime by the operator, statistics can be gathered on the distinct causes of stoppages and the times for each one. All the data can be stored in the computer memory and/or on discs as necessary.

Printing deck controlRegistration screen

control panel screen

Also job tickets can be created for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of job changes, enabling the operator to later recover these job tickets.

The control system is totally integrated in a graphical environment that simplifies operation and understanding.

Control console

Duplex unwinder

Duplex rewinder

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60 %75 %

0,0000

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15080

4214

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FW1508 EB series

Pressure: dot spreading Final DOT

Also available is the iREG system developed exclusively for Comexi by AVT, which enables semi-manual registration adjustment in less than 30 meters/99ft.

Ink tanks

Excitink® technology is essential for controlling the inks (viscosity, temperature and, optionally, pH) so that the selfcleaning system remains efficient during job changes. The technology maintains a balance between supply ink and return ink that permits printing with an optimal pressure in the inking chamber.

The inking system comes in 3 versions: LITE, PREMIUM, and EXCEL, which fulfill diverse viscosity and temperature control needs. Each version comes with various levels of automation.

The structure is completely integrated into the machine’s cowling and the ink tanks are located on the exterior. These tanks use NATURALMixing® technology, which eliminates air consumption from pneumatic agitators (pneumatic agitation is an option).

The selfcleaning process is fast and easy, with a complete wash cycle taking as little as 4 minutes (*).

(*) in the 8-color PREMIUM version with options.

EXCITINK®: SELFCLEANING AND INKING SYSTEM

CINGULAR DOT® SERIES: : PRESSURE AND REGISTRATION ADJUSTMENT

The FPLUS press incorporates latest Comexi technology for totally automatic pressure and register adjustment. CINGULAR DOT2 offers adjustment based on the true print of one 1.5 mm point in less than 90 meters/270 ft.

Selfcleaning and inking system

We understand the ever-changing and globalized marketplace. That’s why Comexi designs presses that adapt to these changes. Changes that generate greater efficiency in printing processes and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact. Changes such as the new eCOMEXI concept.

The technological improvements incorporated into our presses have greatly reduced the power consumption, gas and compressed air. The new Siemens-Comexi technology and the continuous bus configurations reduce emissions from electricity consumption by 58%. In addition, concepts such as recirculation, improvements to thermal insulation and electronic fan control reduce the impact of gas consumption by an incredible 72%. Compressed air consumption has a large impact on emissions; however, the innovative NATURALMixing® technology and the installation of more efficient technology have achieved an 80% reduction in emissions.

Regarding solvent-based printing, Comexi has taken the initiative to find answers to the increasingly strict regulations on VOC emissions and the reduction of greenhouse gases. In the near future, solvent-based printing will face an increasing demand to tackle these issues.

The alternative is electron beam technology (EB). After 5 years dedicated to research and developing this process until it reached industrial performance, COMEXI has achieved radical changes in printing technology. It not only offers a printing system that is 100% solventless and VOC free, but also prints with the highest printing quality possible today without adding extra costs.

If you need to change in the face of increasingly strict regulations on your carbon footprint, we offer eCOMEXI (www.ecomexi.com) solutions that improve print quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus minimizing the overall environmental impact of your industrial process.

eCOMEXI: ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, THE BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Finally, we achieve an average global impact of a 65% reduction as well as the resulting improved economic performance and a better return on investment ratio.

We can also help you integrate on-line sections for application of coatings which add value to your finished product.

Kg

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CO2 EMISSIONS

Total emissions

INK CONSUMPTION

SOLVENT EB FLEXO

Ink consumption SB vs EB Flexo ¡60% less!

CARBON FOOTPRINT

SOLVENT EB FLEXO

SB vs EB Flexo CO2 output ¡75% less!

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17200

6750

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FPLUS LAY OUT

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Note: the technical features are subject to change depending on the configuration selected. The photo on page 4 and the technical schematic correspond to the 10-color FPLUS press with options. The final image might differ from the machine offered.

Type GEARLESS

Colours 8/10

Printing width (mm / inches) 870-1070-1270-1470 / 34.3-42.19-50.07-57.09

Minimum print repeat (mm / inches) 350 - 380 - 400 / 13.8 - 15 - 15.7

Maximum print repeat (mm / inches) 1100 / 43.3

Maximum speed (m/min / ft/min) 500 / 1640

Dimensions (m / ft) (l x w x h) 17,20m x 7,27m x 6,75m / 56.4 x 23.8 x 22.1 ft (standard machine, 1,470 mm / 57.9” width)

FPLUS

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2010

FLEXO PRINTING FI, FW, FPLUS, F4 FLEXOEfficiency®

LAMINATING OPTIMA, POWER, DUAL, EVO, ONE

SLITTING EIKON, E-TURRET, DUO2. COMPACK2, BLADE, GUIDE

ENVIRONMENT & LOGISTICS SELFCLEANING, AUTOMATIC SLEEVE STORAGE, ECODISTIL, AUTOMATIC ROLL UNLOADER, WASHING UNIT

To learn more, visitwww.comexigroup.com

The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

© 2010 Comexi Group Industries SAU. Polígon Industrial de Girona· Avinguda Mas Pins, 135· 17457 Riudellots de la Selva GIRONA (SPAIN)· Tel: +34 972 477 744· Fax: +34 972 477 384· comexi@comexigroup.com · www.comexigroup.com