Bobst | 55Bobst pushes automation and sustainability agendaAt its annual press event, Bobst made a series of important announcements indicating the way forward for its narrow and mid-web press technology. Andy Thomas-Emans reportsith Labelexpo Europe 2023 on the horizon, Bobst has announced a major push across its whole raft of package printing and converting lines toward the digitalization of Wthe packaging supply chain.At the same time, the company made signifcant announcements on its labels business, including new die-cutting systems, Pantone validation and a new user interface for both fexo and digital presses.While many of the announcements at the Bobst annual press event in Lausanne, Switzerland, were not directly related to the labels and mid-web fexible packaging sectors, they clearly show the direction of travel at Bobst - and are already fltering down to areas of more direct interest to L&L readers. Falling into this category is Bobst’s 70 percent acquisition of Dücker Robotics, which develops robots used in loading and palletizing corrugated board. The technology will certainly scale Jean-Pascal, Bobst, addresses journaliststo folding carton converters and the more industrialized sheetfed offset wet-glue label converters. But going forward it could also “Sustainability is the key driver form the basis of automated logistics for the inline labels sector. Likewise, Accucheck, which uses the artwork PDF to generate for increasing adoption of inspection recipes, started as a system targeted at folding carton converters and has now been ported to Bobst’s narrow and oneECG. Customers were not mid-web label machines.Another Bobst partner which has directly impacted the labels’ ready before, but oneECG is a portfolio is Sauber Technologies, which specializes in additive manufacturing (3D printing), fuid dynamics and aerodynamics, more acceptable way of working already used in Formula 1 R&D.with short-to-medium runs”Explains Patrick Graber, strategic marketing director at Bobst. ‘3D printing has evolved with titanium which is a very strong material with excellent thermal stability. 3D printing allows us Flexible packaging to simulate ink fow dynamics and functioning of it. It gives us then the ability to print fnal components with these geometries Bobst has taken note of the growing volume of fexible which are integrated to our clusters. Each inkjet printhead has its packaging printed on mid-web (what Bobst calls narrow own ink chamber where ink is optimized in very small quantities web) digital presses and introduced the compact Nova MW by regulating heat and pressure to achieve perfect viscosity right solventless laminator for this market with web widths from before jetting.’400-830mm. Another company-wide technology is Bobst’s oneECG extended color gamut implementation, which is built on the existing Revo ECG technology for Bobst inline presses. When matched with monitoring and quality control being added.LED-UV curing, Bobst has measured a staggering 60 percent At Labelexpo Europe 2023 Bobst will demonstrate, together decrease in energy use. with its partners, a complete workfow with seamless integration ‘Sustainability is the key driver for increasing adoption of between inline fexo and digital processes, enabling the oneECG,’ comments Graber. ‘Customers were not ready before, digitalization of all process steps.but oneECG is more and more an acceptable way of working, particularly where you have short-to-medium runs.’ Labels deep diveAt the heart of Bobst’s corporate digitization agenda is Bobst For the frst time, Bobst’s press event included a session dedicated Connect, a Cloud-based bundle of services and analytics which to labels, demonstrating the increasing importance of the inline currently includes equipment monitoring and performance digital and fexo portfolio within the group. Last year the label management modules. Bobst announced the addition of a Tool division took on 80 employees, and another 50 this year. The Management module, currently targeted at the folding carton company has seen particularly strong growth in its high-end sector. Tools are ‘enrolled’ and automatically identify themselves ‘All-in-One’ press sales.to the machine using the optional Toolink RFID tag. The software ‘The need for automation and workforce issues mean this then monitors tool wear and allows Cloud-based management of segment will continue to increase,’ says Graber. the tooling inventory. Graber points out that it is not only the larger consolidated Moving forward we can expect to see sustainability, maintenance labels and packaging groups who are buying the top-of-the-range Jul - Sep 2023