Plate mounting | 95Automatic plate mounting Nick Vindel, international sales manager at JM Heaford, discusses the benefts of automatic plate mounting he automatic mounting of photopolymer plates in fexographic printing is well documented in mid Tand wide web applications. Signifcantly, these automatic mounters are also being supplied in the narrow web market with many label manufacturers now adopting this technology – not just larger label converting groups with multiple presses and facilities but also smaller independents who see the fexibility gains of equipment that doesn’t need highly skilled operators. Many press manufacturers are also recommending automatic mounters to their customers, as they complement the continuous advancements they are making in technologies to improve fexographic print quality. With this shift to automation, we explore how they work and what advantages they offer over other conventional plate mounters.Nick Vindel (left) at Brazilian converter Prakolar, part of Sato Group, Speed of mounting is an important which installed JM Heaford’s Label AutoMounter in 2018variable in the mounting and printing workfow, but printers are also looking for machines that are operator independent “E-Z Stick Labels of California, which installed and have repeatable results. Accurate and repeatable consistency eliminates the a Label AutoMounter in 2018, has achieved a possibility of time-consuming re-mounts, 75 percent reduction in plate mounting times”reducing press downtime, as well as wasted substrates, inks etc. Often, mounting machines are used to service multiple the image database. Once it recognizes for re-mounting.presses, and therefore it’s critical to ensure the register mark, the ‘actual’ position is Automatic mounters work by using that mounting doesn’t become a bottleneck compared with the ‘target/pre-programmed’ different methods and algorithms in image in the job set-up process, which can lead to position. This positional data is sent to the recognition, from the most basic systems reduced press productivity, and ultimately mounter’s computer which in turn sends that take a photo/frame of an image and reduced proftability. Reducing run lengths instructions to the mounter’s drives/motors search for a near-perfect match, to those increases the number of job changeovers to move the plate to the correct position. that use more sophisticated methods to per shift, making fast, ‘right frst time’ job Different manufacturers have different identify a wider range of register marks. It set-up/changeover critical, ‘as the press systems for doing this positioning, and is important to note that the more basic is only generating revenue when printing with different margins of precision. ‘photo-matching’ systems work well in products of commercial value’, to quote Once positioned in the correct situations where there is very little variation our founder John Heaford. Some mounting mounting position the mounter in the registration mark and its surrounding machine manufacturers have responded automatically sticks the plate to the area. However, in practice, especially with to these market demands with automatic pre-taped sleeve, usually with a pressure the smaller register marks and used plates, mounting machines, so that mounting roller to eliminate air bubbles between the these methods are limited and more is not only fast, but is highly accurate, plate and the tape. Different manufacturers complex algorithms based on synthetic repeatable and an easy process with do this in different ways, but the result target models and multiple matching consistent results. is plates that are mounted automatically systems are required to ensure consistent with little or no operator interference, image recognition across a reasonable range Automatic mounting with great accuracy and with consistent, of ‘real life’ used registration marks. If one Typically, most automatic mounting repeatable results. These same mounters can only use new, perfect plates with large machines work in a very similar way. also have systems to check the accuracy register marks, then this is not a real-life The plate is positioned in the mounter, of the mount. This automation follows scenario in a fexographic printing factory. so that the registration marks are in the trend of automation and data exchange The different image recognition systems the feld of view of the camera; the in manufacturing technologies, as is the and software to identify, recognize and mounter’s image recognition system philosophy of Industry 4.0. As the operator’s match the database of the different register searches for the register mark - usually variable input is eliminated, and it is mark/microdot types is crucial – if the trying to match a register mark on the the machine mounting automatically, automatic mounter does not recognize plate to a pre-selected register mark in this reduces or eliminates the need the target, it cannot be automatically Jan - Mar 2022