The first Varioman machines will be configured for packaging applications, with the first two machines being offset-gravure hybrid presses developed to produce printed films, designated f:line, and highly-weighted paper for the packaging market, c:line.
The first f:line machine is currently being built and is due for installation at an unnamed international flexible packaging printer’s site in early 2018. A c:line press is currently being configured for a cartonboard manufacturer and, according to Manroland, a press specifically for book applications is also in the early stages of development.
The initial Varioman concept was first discussed in 2014, the company then undertook a lengthy period of market research before the a pilot customer signed for the first press around six months ago.
Manroland UK managing director John Ellis stressed the bespoke nature of the machines, with each press developed for a specific customer application.
Ellis said: “We are looking at areas we would like to diversify into. The web offset market is declining and that is where our mainstay is, we still think it will be going for a long time but we have available capacity to do other things. This is one of several strategic directions we’ve gone in.
“The packaging and flexible packaging market are quite attractive to us. The plan at the moment is that we have researched the markets, spoken to major suppliers and we now have a pilot customer and are building this [first] machine as we speak.
“We asked the customer for their requirements and have created a solution using partly some of our own technology and partly existing technologies from other suppliers and adapting it.”
More information about the first product will be released nearer the time of first installation and the technology will be on show during its testing period at an open house in Manroland’s Augsburg demo centre later this year.
“We are now actively seeking further customers to develop bespoke solutions for, so this particular Varioman might not be the same for somebody else, it might have different components and technologies,” added Ellis.
With a starting speed of up to 400m/min, the bespoke series has three different web width options: 425-850mm, 560-1,100m and 625-1,300mm.
The Varioman f:line technology will be able to handle film or paper substrates at thickness of between 10 and 300 microns and have a variable print repeat length of 406mm to 914mm. Larger web widths and different cylinder circumferences will also be available on demand.
It has variable-sleeve litho printing units combined with third-party gravure printing units. which Manroland integrates with the press.
Manroland said that compared to flexo, digital or gravure printing solutions, the offset technology used with the Varioman reproduces a high printing quality with production costs lower depending on each job structure.
The c:line cartonboard press in the early stages of production will use printing units especially designed for cartons and optimised for the use of substrates between 250 and 700 microns thick.
