Omet Celebrates 40 Years
- Published: December 01, 2003, By Yolanda Simonsis, Associate Publisher/Editor
LECCO, ITALY—Omet Srl celebrated its 40th anniversary November 6-8 at its new 600 m2 Technology Ctr., which will serve as a permanent showroom for customers to view and test new Omet technology. The event took place in the company of 120 invited customers, agents, and journalists, including PFFC.
The event served two distinct market sectors over the course of two days — one for labels, film, and folding cartons and another for paper napkins — while business manager and host Marco Calcagni reserved the third day to inaugurate the new facility in the presence of employees and local authorities.
Founded by Angelo Baresaghi in 1963, Omet began with engineering capabilities that involved flexo printing on tissue and napkins. Over the years, the company evolved and applied its flexo printing and fine tension control expertise to narrow width films and folding cartons. Its latest introductions to the narrow web field were featured at the open house, including a demonstration of both the Varyflex FP and Flexy presses on opening day.
The first morning's demonstration featured the versatility of the Varyflex FP press, handling 0.5-mil film with a Martin Automatic infeed and a BST Pro Mark Genius inspection system (which is standard equipment). Three models are able to print ten colors (or more by request) and accommodate print widths to 410, 510, and a maximum 670 mm at speeds to 200 mpm. The press employs premounted plate sleeves for quick changeovers (PFFC witnessed a complete changeover in just under 5 min) and can use UV, water-based, or solvent-based inks with a combination also possible of hot air, UV, or IR drying units. Interchangeable modular inserts permit the addition of a rotary screen unit and soon will include a rotogravure unit as well, says Omet agent Steven Leibin of Matik North America, West Hartford, CT.
In the afternoon, the same press ran 16-pt board for a folding carton application. Because the press incorporates a direct-drive, completely gearless system, no adjustment is required to change the features of the printing support system. A closed-loop, computer-controlled tension system is key to the multi-substrate capabilities of the press, allowing operators to “set it and forget it” from shift to shift, explains Leibin.
The Model Varyflex FC for folding cartons is based on the Varyflex principal but is equipped with appropriate tension controls and framing to accommodate the rigors of folding carton production for board as heavy as 24 pt. It can handle unsupported films as thin as 0.5 mil as well.
The afternoon provided an opportunity to see in action the Flexy press for plastic film, paper, self-adhesive paper, and folding carton production. Three different models are able to handle print widths to 255, 330, and 420 mm at speeds of 150 mpm. Equipped with flexo, rotary screen, in-line hot foil, and cold foil units, the press has a high degree of flexibility, according to the manufacturer.
The second day focused on the Tissue Div.'s introductions, with nearly 100 people in attendance to view the Niagara “eight-way” machine for one-ply napkins printed in four colors at speeds to 800 mpm or 10,000 napkins/min. Also introduced was TV 840 for napkin production in bulk packs and Model SP 502 for embossed paper place mats in one to four colors.
Visitors from as far away as the US were impressed by more than the Italian Alps serving as backdrop to the new Technology Ctr., with one prospective customer summing up the Varyflex's capabilities: “It's a lot of press!”
