Prati Open House | 67Prati launches fully automated finishing lineAt its Open House event in Faenza, Italy, Prati demonstrated a fnishing line incorporating inkjet varnishing, laser die cutting and turret rewind. Andy Thomas-Emans reportsrati has unveiled a fully automated digital embellishment and converting line, running from inkjet varnish and digital cold Pfoil application to laser die cutting, waste stripping and turret rewind for non-stop operation.The company says such a confguration is ideal for label converters looking to start a fully digital web-to-labeling/packaging/sticker business, as well as converters faced with the challenges of ultra-short run, personalized or highly customized fnishing work - including intricate die cuts and micro-perforation.The line is seen as ideal for short runs of promotional labels in the food and beverage, wine and spirits, cosmetics, personal care and home care sectors.The DIGIFASTone is a fully modular fnishing machine based on Chiara Prati in front of DIGIFASTone with digital Prati’s Futura Industry 4.0 open technology platform that allows coating module followed by laser die cutting modulePrati systems to be upgraded quickly and easily on-site rather than shipping back for a factory retroft. “In the past, designers must The DIGIFASTone demonstrated at the Open House event was ftted with a digital printing module capable of printing spot varnish accept the limitations of analog and tactile effects and textures up to 130 microns high at speeds up to 50m/min. technology. But digital printing, The laser die cutting module is built by SEI Laser and operates at up to 100 linear meters/min, which would typically equal together with digital fnishing, around 45m/min on a typical label job. Instantaneous job change is achieved by reading barcodes or QR-codes pre-printed on the creates new possibilities not limited digital press. There is no limit on label length, and substrates and liners of any thickness can be handled. The open house print by the use of plates or tooling”sample was produced on cotton paper, which is diffcult to die cut conventionally. imagination for the producers of labels and packaging. It is also In S-D or D-S confgurations, the DIGIFASTone can handle a wide ideal for a PDF to packaging workfow.’variety of materials, including self-adhesive, clear-on-clear labels, Chiara Prati also points to the high level of automation on the wrap-around labels, shrink sleeves, plastic flms, unsupported paper DIGIFASTone, which helps label converters faced with a shortage of and plastic materials in a range of thicknesses from 12 to 350 skilled labor. A single semi-skilled operator can work the whole line.microns. Also on display at the open house was a Digifast20000 carton The full range of DIGIFASTone modules now includes a buffer converting line. This is an exciting development that allows users of for direct connection to a digital press, rotary and semi-rotary HP Indigo’s 20000/25k press to switch between fexible packaging fexo units, digital coating unit, cold foiling, registered rotary and folding carton production on the same fnishing machine. It can and semi-rotary die-cutting, laser die-cutting, hot foiling and be placed near line or inline using a specially developed buffer. embossing, 100 percent print inspection, longitudinal cutting with The Digifast20000 can handle materials from 12 to 600 microns manual and automatic blade positioning and single, double and in either roll-to-roll or roll-to-sheet confguration. It is ftted with turret rewinding. a dual UV/hot air drying fexo coating station to handle UV or A ‘digital screen’ module capable of printing braille dots and water-based coatings for the food industry.Marburg Medium fonts for pharma products can be built with a The sheeter section with vacuum belt and stacker can be single Xaar 2002 GS12 HL printhead for coating thicknesses of 250 disconnected from the Digifast20000 when starting flm microns at speeds up to 25m/min or with a double print bar for production. The whole line has a high degree of automation, with thicknesses up to 280 microns at a speed of 50m/min. no manual setting involved. Company CEO and CSO Chiara Prati explained to L&L that Other machines shown at the open house included the the DIGIFASTone was designed for a new era in which designers, compact Digicompact digital label fnisher, available in ‘limited only by their imagination,’ will drive the application of roll-to-roll, roll-to-sheet and roll-to-stack confgurations, and digital fnishing technology. a Saturn Bidi inspection-rewinder dedicated to cosmetics and ‘In the past, designers must accept the limitations of analog pharma label fnishing.technology. But digital printing, together with digital fnishing, creates new possibilities not limited by the use of plates or tooling.Designers are best placed to take advantage of all the nuances For more information on the machinery mentioned in this of fnishing in the various phases of doming, varnishing, cutting, article, visit the Prati stand at Labelexpo Americas in curing, foiling and slitting. This technology favors freedom and September (www.labelexpo-americas.com).Jul - Sep 2022