Star Product

Working on the adage that ‘every minute is precious’, screen print press manufacturer Thieme claims it can squeeze an extra print job from every shift by exploiting the rapid set-up features of the Thieme 5000 XL.

The large-format 5000 XL is equipped with an intelligent control system that automates a range of normally manual operations. The company said that by accumulating every minute it saves in making ready, it can shave 15 minutes off each job.

Time is saved at various stages of the run. For instance, approximately five minutes can be saved by removing the need for masking. This is because the size of the vacuum field for the printing tables is selected automatically.

“Set-up times play a decisive role in the profitability of a printing machine,” said Andrew Kippax of UK distributor Thieme KPX. “Every minute gained is reflected in pounds and pence, particularly when small runs, and thus frequent product changes, are involved.

If your average run is 1,000 sheets, then chipping quarter of an hour off every job could allow you to produce an extra job on each shift.”

The machine’s time-saving capabilities are rooted in its programmable logic controller (PLC), which is accessible at two central operating stations, located at its feed board and stacker. This unit enables a job’s data to be entered and stored for later recall, so that when a print job is being set up, the corresponding set of parameters can be immediately called up so the machine is ready for printing.

The 5000 XL can handle a print format of 2x3.3m. Speeds range from 500 to 800 cycles per hour, depending on the machine type. Last year, in response to customer demand, Thieme constructed the 5000 XXL, which has a maximum print size capacity of 2.6x3.7m. Both machine types are based on the original Thieme 5000 multicolour line.