BOBST at North Print
The BOBST stand at North Print & Pack 2013 will be totally dedicated to service and support with the objective of helping printers and packaging manufacturers cut their running costs, reduce waste and maximise the performance of their equipment – including machinery not from BOBST.
BOBST will show details of products and services as diverse as oil cleaners that can almost indefinitely extend the life of the oil in printing equipment; smart phone and tablet Apps that provide real-time production information to key staff wherever they are in the world; training courses which give operators the skills to run machines more productively and more safely; service contracts that maximise equipment uptime; and in-line print quality checking equipment that prevents all non-conforming products from reaching customers. Emphasising the service theme, BOBST will present one of the Packaging Theatre seminars entitled Fitting into the Customers Business Plan.
“The things we are promoting at the show are all about making the equipment printers and carton makers have as efficient and productive as it can be as well as cutting running costs and reducing waste,” comments regional services manager Mike Rice. “In today’s tough business environment manufacturers need all the help they can get. We have a host of ideas that can help them – from retro-fit equipment to production analysis by our process experts. At BOBST we’re serious about becoming the benchmark provider of services in the industry and focussing on services at North Print & Pack is a step towards that.”
Among the many products and services being promoted by BOBST at the exhibition are: Oil Cleaner which removes particles and contaminants from the oil in any machine that has an oil sump including die-cutters and printing presses.
“A reference site using the technology has found that the oil in their die-cutter is still clear of contaminants several years beyond its normal replacement date,” continues Rice. “As well as the saving in oil it means no downtime while it is changed and no costs associated with the disposal of used oil during that time. And it’s better for the environment.”
Mobile Portal – an App for smart phones and tablets that allows authorised users to see the performance of their machines from wherever they happen to be, as long as they have an Internet connection. Compatible with all of the main information system protocols such as JDF, HTML, XML and ASCII, Mobile Portal gives key staff information on performance, availability, quality and OEE, as well as the ability to drill down to more detailed information. Plasmatreat, which is a unit which improves the bonding of paper or synthetics. While corona treatment is a sheet level approach, which often loses effectiveness by the time the sheet reaches downstream processes, Plasma treatment is applied exactly where needed and immediately before the bonding process improving the adhesion of glues to surfaces, so improving running speeds, reducing customer returns and cutting adhesive consumption. Training and process support from BOBST’s UK based product specialists helps improve the performance of individuals, teams and equipment, and can provide analysis and advice on specific problem issues such as tooling design, in production stops or excessive waste.
ACCUCHECK is a retro-fit unit for BOBST MASTERFOLD and EXPERTFOLD folder-gluer lines which checks every single carton blank against a print reference allowing it to reject cartons with missing print, poor colour, spots or stains, surface damage or bad die-cutting. Maintenance Plus gives manufacturers access to up to four visits a year from a BOBST field service engineer who makes a detailed assessment of any BOBST line, anticipates potential problems and helps plan any necessary maintenance, so keeping users’ equipment at peak performance.