The Willich plant, on the outskirts of Dusseldorf, began the change-over in 1999 with the adoption of a mid-term strategy to become Skanem’s European centre of excellence for UV-Flexo printing.

MPS, a relative newcomer to the techniques of UV-Flexo printing and Screem printing, was chosen as the preferred partner and the first MPS press was installed in 2000. Skanem's managing director at Willich, Thomas Gottenstroeter, said: "They have been a great partner since our first meeting in 1999.  They understood our technological needs and were quick to offer us a screen and combination solution with their UV-Flexo technology."

When the first press was installed in 2000, the Willich workforce began to develop their new UV-Flexo skills and give added value to both products and customers.  Continued investment led to more new technology which in turn led to more sophisticated products and satisfied customers, he said.

It also enabled Skanem to streamline the factory's workforce - down from 130 to 85 - and increase output by 50 per cent.

The MPS machines lets the printer run either UV-Flexo or rotary screen operations at any station on the press without having to change print modules. Hot foiling can also be included.

The MPS technology was one of the first narrow web machines to make extensive use of servo motor technology and incorporate double tooling in the same print heads.

To change to screen printing from UV-Flexo simply means sliding out the Flexo inking system and exchanging the squeegee and ink pump.  A single set of press controls operate both print processes.

Within the print unit design is a solid lock feature where the plate cylinder and impression cylinder are locked together in a cradle. The print pressure is adjusted by moving the whole assembly, without unlocking the gears, so avoiding gear marking.

The ink assembly - anilox, doctor blade and meter rolls – moves automatically as the pressure changes and the anilox can be changed without losing doctor settings (pressure and angle).

A plate change  takes about a minute and there is no web break or re-threading required.

Special features of the new equipment includes multi-drive technology, with the web transported independently of the printing/converting process with separate servo drives for all print and converting functions.  Each printing and converting function has it own register control with preset capability independent of web transport.

The independent servos allow web speed and the speed of the plate cylinder surface to be perfectly matched, regardless of the thickness of the substrate being run. This avoids barring marks – particularly noticeable on vignettes which are caused when the web and the plate cylinder are running at different speeds which happens when the circumference of the plate cylinder changes as the press operator uses difference tape combinations to compensate for substrate thickness.

The speed of the dot must be identical to the web speed for all substrates, both thick and thin and for this reason the gears are locked together with their own motors.

Among other issues, critical to the printer, that the new systems achieve are:

o Reduction in waste

o Wide width standardisation

o Shorter run lengths capability

o Short set-up times at the lowest set-up waste

o The printed result gives:

o Minimal dot gain, a full round dot, good ink coverage of solid

o Areas and sharper printing of smaller fonts

o Capability of printing one per cent dots up to 200 lpi, matching offset quality in most applications

o Savings in comparison to former UV Flexo generation:

o Make-ready time reduced by 25%

o Waste reduction by 30%

Mr Gottenstroeter said that the complete change at Willich, which is one of Skanem's ten European factories, has come about as market trends have changed, which has enabled the factory to meet the new demands.

Customer run lengths has decreased by 20-25 per cent as more variants have been introduced and stock holding reduced.

Not many jobs now run up to 20,000 linear metres - 4,000 linear metres is now more normal - which means average running time on the presses is reduced to two hours instead of 10-15 hours.

Each shift now averages four changes and there are three shifts a day. This is helped by reduced setting-up times - now ranging from 30 minutes to two and a half hours depending on complexity. A streamlined approach means that while one job is running, the next is on the bench ready and the third is in preparation.