MASTERFLUTE TOUCH delivers reliability and productivity over a lifetime of production

Processing 220m/min or 12,000 sheets per hour and offering a unique registration and gluing system, the MASTERFLUTE TOUCH is a litho-laminator in a league of its own. As brand owners look for ever higher quality and converters feel the squeeze of material cost and short deadlines, reliability and precision are more important than ever.

Over 15 years ago, the POWERALIGNER revolutionized the register precision on litho-laminators. The advanced sheet alignment system eliminates the need for a front stop and mechanical side lay. Using optical sensors to detect sheet edges, it removes mechanical stops entirely, reducing wear and eliminating the risk of sheet damage and allowing for lighter sheets. Combined with a completely new sheet feeder featuring a directdriven bridge conveyor, the POWERALIGNER positions sheets with exceptional accuracy, even at the highest production speeds. The result is unmatched reliability, consistently high output, and significantly improved register accuracy.

Another unique feature is the GAPRO glue system, which automatically controls the glue gap to apply the minimum amount of adhesive. This reduces moisture, and improves board flatness, all with excellent board quality, minimal glue consumption and a reduced need for intermediate stock levels. These features deliver increased productivity, production flexibility, and quality. Additionally, reducing waste through production accuracy, using less glue with GAPRO technology and the possibility to use lighter cover sheets, can add up to considerable long-term economic advantages.

However, investing in a high-tech machine is not always without risk. Sophisticated engineering can prove sensitive and fragile when used intensively, but ensuring a sound return on investment is vital. As visits to different customers have shown, the MATERFLUTE is extremely reliable and consistent throughout years of intensive use. On the shop floor, machines indicated a production rate of 30 million sheets per year, and depending on the produced sheet size, up to 50 million. Markus Zimmermann, Area Sales and Product Marketing Manager at Bobst Grenchen, highlights the importance of quality: “BOBST litho-laminators are real workhorses, sometimes running 24/7. Long-term performance is essential for our customers, and our machines deliver builttolast quality by combining structural robustness with advanced technology.” 

“Our technology still is ahead of its time,” says Daniel Müller, Site Manager at Bobst Grenchen. “Now that we have developed our own central processing unit, which optimizes the drive control and monitors electronic zero points, the sheet position both laterally and in the machine direction is corrected automatically. This increases the running accuracy and minimizes the adjustments necessary at the POWERALIGNER.” This compensates for setup variations, improves motion control, and enhances consistency and precision, reducing setup time and waste.

This CPU can be retrofitted into existing litho-laminators. “Of course we are happy to supply new machines,” says Müller, “but we are also fully committed to supportingour customers in maximizing the return on their investment.” This includes service and support benefits such as quality parts and consumables, as well as upgrading or remanufacturing.

“Of course we will continue to develop our machines, increasing automation, makingthem easier to run and digitalizing the workflow. But whatever the changes we introduce, quality, productivity, and reliability are nonnegotiable” concludes Daniel Müller.

To learn more about BOBST and its latest generation of high-performance litho-laminators, visit www.Bobst.com.

BOBST