Australia - Flexible Packaging Australia Pty Ltd of Sydney chose Kuen Yuh to bring their plant up to date. John Lawless said they could see the need for two things: eight colours and a cantilevered machine.

The concept of quick changeover due to the ability to use a sleeve system was paramount in this decision. The decision was easy. The company already has a six-colour machine from Kuen Yuh, which is well built and procedures extremely good quality. And of course the machine is CAC with automatic print to print register (with pre-set).

This function is achieved through a special industrial computer. Kuen Yuh traditionally manufacture gravure presses, but now only flexo presses due to the demands from USA and now Australia.

Although the press is manufactured in Taiwan, a many of the components are not, e.g. Montalvo pneumatic brakes, Fife edge guides, the drum and bull gear are from England, sleeves are from Rotec, with Harper aniloxes and Rotec print cylinders, Graymills visco-meter and TruColor web video.

But of course who makes a vast amount of the world's PCs? Taiwan.

They are sourced locally and all of the software is produced locally. This includes l Electronically controlled motorised deck-in. The system includes four-step motor for each colour unit. Two motors control the position of each side of the printing cylinder. The other two do the same for the anilox roller.

The encoder is connected to each recirculating ball screw (four on each unit like the motors), the encoder has a resolution so as to grant a final printing position having a precision of 5 microns.

The system is an independent loop type. Each motor is directly controlled by its digital drive to reach a determined qoute, while the relevant encoder monitors the movements. If an error is detected, the whole system is stopped. Speed (back/forward movement) max. 25 mm/sec. approximately.

The system automatically detects encoder failure; zeroing endstroke failure; cylinder off-centre; drives (servomotors) failure; overvoltage/overcur-rent; mechanical failure between motor and relevant screw; PLC communication failure.

The system control area is located on the machine's main console. The current data of the selected cylinders is displayed on the computer screen. When printing, corrections can be done by ¯step(r) (defined) movement units. The final printing job data with all corrections is saved on the buffered RAM memories of the drive.

Computer visualisation.
The system is composed by an industrial computer equipped with a 14" SVGA colour monitor and industrial keyboard. The computer, located o the machine's main consol, is the interface between the operator and the PLC equipping the machine.

Dedicated software handles graphical presentation as well as the real-time data exchange with the rest of the press. The system has software and hardware for possible data transfer through modem connection. The computer comes complete with a modem, so when something goes wrong, you simply dial up Taiwan and get the answer.

No wonder John Lawless is smiling these days. Not only has he a very successful flexible packaging company, but has other business interests in liquor shops, a restaurant, etc. But his main love is flexible packaging, and when you see his new press printing eight colours at around 250 m/min, you’ll understand why he’s a very happy man.