DG press presents Thallo developments

The Thallo platform is available in 20.5in, 33.5in and 41.5in (520mm, 850mm and 1,050mm) widths, and is a modular system with the ability to use one of the stations for flexo printing and the option of UV, EB or hot air drying. Intergation of gravure is also a possibility.

The 7-color press presented at an Open House event at the DG press facility in Hall, The Netherlands featured a flexo station at the front of the press with a UV drying station before wet-on-wet offset printing in the following six print units.

DG press is working with Uteco on flexo units for integration with Thallo systems, with both marketing and selling Thallo so allowing each to capitalize on their respective expertise and established market position – in offset for DG press and the flexible packaging market for Uteco. This relationship was described as ‘strong and fruitful’ by Remko Koolbergen, DG press director, when presenting the 7-color Thallo to attendees at the Open House.

Thallo presses can further be configured with a range of third-party equipment, including non-stop splicers, corona treaters, die-cutting and laminating modules, and automatic blanket washing systems.

The press was shown printing both shrink sleeves and an in-mold label job using solventless inks.

The 7-color press shown has already been sold to Belgium-based Vuye Flexible Packaging, and was shown configured with an existing print station and hot air drying tower from the customer, which has been upgraded and integrated at the end of the press.

A new feature demonstrated was the ability to run the web backwards and allow material already in the press to be used for set-up of the next job. This utilizes web tension and substrate flow control to allow material to be run backwards through the press, so minimizing expensive set-up waste. These technologies also allow Thallo to handle and process a range of materials, from unsupported films and paper to, potentially, carton.

The 7-color press was presented at an Open House event at the DG press facility in Hall, The Netherlands, where a 5-color press, still under construction but sold to Wesselink Flexibel Drukwerk, was also shown. The 7- and 5-color presses are scheduled for installation in July.

A previously seen 2-color unit was also exhibited but was shown with a new rail-based sleeve handling system, which allows for quick and efficient handling of print sleeves up and down the press by a single operator.

Peter Kloppers, a fellow director at DG press, noted that service remains an integral part of the company’s business model with Thallo a valuable addition to its products and offering, and likely to support future activities in its DG press ServiceS operation.