Gallus has jointly developed a new press with Heidelberg that paves the way for further models in the future. The collaboration is further underlined by giving the model the name Labelmaster in reference to Heidelberg’s sheetfed litho presses.
Litho press technology has been incorporated into the model design as well as the company’s recent emphasis on modularity and shared design and components. This will allow Gallus to offer the machine at a competitive price point, delivering a “price performance ratio with the Labelmaster you have not seen before from Gallus” CEO Klaus Bechstein announced at the launch.
Gallus hopes to emulate the success of the ECS340, it most successful machine to date, which was first launched seven years ago. That introduced a modular concept to label press design allowing customers to select the components they wanted to customise their press.
The Labelmaster takes this a step further introducing a locking system to position print units with absolute accuracy. Lightweight aluminium cylinders are used to switch print lengths to “ensure that job changes can be completed with unparalleled speed” according to Gallus. The units are built in pairs, again aiding accuracy of registration and reducing makeready times.
“Gallus and Heidelberg have harnessed a great many synergies in developing the new platform technology for the label market. A modular design and a reduction in complexity benefit both sets of customers, sheetfed and label market, and make them more competitive,” says Heidelberg management board director Stephan Plenz.
The machine will run a range of materials from paper to unsupported films and foils at speeds of 200m/min. The distance between print units of 1.1 metres will cut down on waste materials while the chambered doctor blade needs just 250g of ink which will minimise waste of ink at changeover and with Heidelberg’s influence in duct design, the risks of spitting and foaming have been reduced.
The press is designed as a UV flexo machine with the option of a screen printing unit. The first models will be 440mm wide. Three will be available: an entry level basic version, a Plus model with greater flexibility and an Advanced option carrying every conceivable gizmo to aid automation and versatility. Even this version will be cost effective delivering a machine “for investment sums that were not previously possible for premium products”.
The first press is already under going field testing at an unnamed printer ahead of commercial shipments that will begin next year. It will already be a highlight for Labelexpo in 12 months’ time.
Gallus is already planning wider web widths which will take the press into short run flexible packaging markets. This is the second major collaboration with Heidelberg, the first being the Labelfire 340 digital press using Fujifilm inkjet heads. Gallus is now a full subsidiary of Heidelberg following a sore swap deal which has made Gallus former owner Ferdinand Ruesch the largest individual shareholder in Heidelberg.
