15 Oct 2019
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Hardware - Print Finishing

Autobond develops cross cutter for use with any make of laminator/encapsulator

Print Finishing
Autobond

Autobond has developed a stand alone cross cutter - the CC 76 - that can be used with any make of sheet-fed laminator or encapsulator, the first time the UK manufacturer has introduced a product that can be integrated with competitors’ equipment. The first model to be built at the Derbyshire factory is due to be delivered to a customer in Toronto during June, where it will be linked with both a Billhofer laminator and Autofeeds encapsulator to produce mouse-mats.

“The new CC 76 can be interfaced with any sheet-fed laminator or encapsulator and will cut material as thick as 500 micron (10 mil) polyester,” says managing director John Gilmore. “The CC 76 is the only dual purpose, stand alone cutter on the market. An arrowhead blade is used to cut laminated work and this can cross cut single-sided nylon and polyester where sheets have been under-lapped. The blade can be changed within a couple of minutes for a circular cutting disc, which enables the separation of encapsulated work.

“Material can be cut up to 76 cm (30 inch) wide and the CC 76 will handle any length of web. The length of sheet determines the throughout speed, and a B2 (28 inch) job should allow a top speed of 60 metres (200 ft) per minute. We believe there is a significant market for the new CC 76 amongst printers and finishing houses looking to extend the functionality of their laminating or encapsulating equipment, for example, to handle special materials such as metalised board or pressure sensitive adhesive stock.”

The servo-driven cross cutter is fitted with an in-feed facility that pulls in the web with great accuracy even at high speed. The web stops exactly at the centre of the gap, where the servo-driven flying knife cuts the film. Autobond has incorporated a high degree of automation into the CC 76, which makes it easy to operate and highly accurate.

The CC 76 can also be programmed to make a double cut for flush cut or tab work. Two dancing rollers ensure that the web is maintained at a constant tension throughout production, while ultrasonic detectors provide pinpoint accuracy for the servo driven flying knife. Separated sheets are delivered onto an optional speed-adjustable shingle table or straight into a vibrating jogger. If required, the CC 76 can be moved between equipment so that it can be linked to different laminators/encapsulators at a customer’s site.

New Roland MDX-40A Desktop Subtractive Rapid Prototyping Machine Offers Greater Ease of Use and Versatility

Print Finishing

MDX-40A

Hamamatsu, Japan. June 18 2009 - Roland DG Corporation is proud to announce the release of the company’s newest 3D desktop milling machine, the MODELA MDX-40A. The MDX-40A builds on Roland’s advanced Subtractive Rapid Prototyping (SRP) technology with advanced features and bundled CAM software that together make it more versatile and easier to use.

Prototyping is becoming increasingly important to today’s product development professionals. The MDX-40A allows these users to create models from their 3D CAD data, lowering their product development costs and shortening the development cycle. The MDX-40A enables these professionals to create prototypes that reflect a product’s functionality and appearance, key factors that determine its value to consumers. For example, the MDX-40A can mill the design and actual texture of an automotive gearshift prototype so both can be reviewed easily for the highest quality results.

“The MODELA MDX-40A is an ideal prototyping solution for R&D and design departments of manufacturers and vocational educators, and particularly for those without previous milling experience,” said Masataka Otake, Roland DG 3D product manager. “The MDX-40A also includes Roland’s own CAM software, SRP Player, which further increases its ease of use and functionality. “

With Roland SRP Player, users simply follow a step-by-step guide to set up the milling process. From this input, SRP Player automatically determines the right tools and optimum tool path. Roland ClickMILL™ software is included as well, allowing users to round edges, add pockets and holes, create fixtures and add last minute modifications, all without accessing their CAD software. An optional rotary axis unit enables users to mill objects at any angle from 0 to 360 degrees unattended.

Along with this product announcement, Roland has announced that existing MDX-40 customers can update their SRP machines with some of the new features and capabilities of the MDX-40A with a simple firmware upgrade, available upon the release of the new MDX-40A.

Roland MODELA MDX-40A 3D Milling Machine Features:
• Compact footprint of 699 mm (W) x 760 mm (D) x 554 mm (H) (26.34” x 29.9” x 21.8”) fits on the desktop.
• No special electrical installations are required and users can start prototyping immediately upon installation.
• Roland SRP Player CAM software is included and features simple step-by-step settings for easy operation and high quality milling.
• Roland ClickMill™ software is included and enables fast production and easy modifications. Users can surface materials, add holes and round edges – all without accessing their 3D CAD software.
• New on-screen operation panel offers additional functions, allowing the cursor to move in vertical, horizontal and oblique directions, and to a programmed position. It also allows users to adjust the speed of cursor movements for easier origin setting.
• A new optional rotary axis unit supports materials up to 270mm long by 120mm in diameter (10.63” long by 4.72” in diameter). This is four times the capacity of the previous model and large enough to mill a 500ml (16.9oz.) PET bottle.
• Supports NC code (G-code) for both professional and educational applications.

Roland Subtractive Rapid Prototyping Technology
Subtractive Rapid Prototyping (SRP) has several advantages over traditional additive rapid prototyping. SRP devices cost significantly less while producing prototypes from a wider variety of low-priced materials including ABS, acrylic, chemical woods, plaster and styrene form. With SRP, professionals can design prototypes using materials that closely match the substrate of the final product, so that the integrity and mechanical attributes of the design can be reviewed. SRP produces beautiful finishes with smooth curved surfaces, allowing designers to check the texture as well as the design.

Autobond Launches Mini 76 at Bio-Degradable Water-Based/Thermal Laminator

Print Finishing
Autobond's New Laminator

Autobond’s research and development team have been working overtime recently and the company says it will be launching several additions to its already extensive range of laminators during the coming months. The first of these new products is the Mini 76 AT, which is a combination water-based/thermal laminator aimed at markets where companies want to run a bio-degradable film and/or labour costs are generally lower, but runs lengths often higher, than in Europe.

“Water-based adhesive film is about half the price of thermal film, but it requires greater skill from the laminator operator,” says Autobond managing director John Gilmore. “In countries where labour costs are lower but where the market for laminating is large, the new Mini 76 AT provides the perfect opportunity to produce all types of laminating cost effectively.

“The Mini 76 AT is equipped with a rewind unit for handling water-based adhesive film and the standard suction-drum version can run at up to 45 metres a minute. All Autobond models are designed so that extending the functionality is straightforward. For example, this new laminator could be fitted with a Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 rising pile back separation feed head, which would increase the maximum speed to 60 metres a minute.”

The thermal version of the Mini 76 is one of Autobond’s most successful models. The new Mini 76 AT has the ability to handle stock from A4 up to 76 x 102 cm in weights between 90 gsm to 650 gsm. All Mini laminators are designed so that they can fit into a factory where space is limited and the Mini 76 AT has a footprint of only 3.9 x 1.6 metres.

The heavy duty build helps to ensure reliability and accuracy, as well as enabling a nip pressure of up to six metric tonnes. This means that Autobond laminators can be used for work printed on litho or digital presses, as the force in the nip rollers allows good adhesion between film and stock even if toner based inks have been used. The high degree of automation incorporated within Autobond’s laminators, along with features such as the quick-change airshafts for mounting films, makes them extremely efficient and easy to use.

Autobond has developed a wide range of options for its laminators and machines can virtually be tailor made, if required, to suit a customer’s particular needs. Standard features include an adjustable anti-curl bar, pneumatically adjustable in-feed nip rollers and a pneumatic clutch to ensure constant tension of the film.

The laminators are available in sizes from B3 to B1 and can be made as perfectors, allowing both sides of the sheet to be laminated in one pass. Operator training can normally be carried out within a couple of days and there is also a remote diagnostic facility. This means that an experienced Autobond engineer can easily log on to a laminator, wherever it is in the world, and provide advice to the user.

Mutoh upgrades SC-PRO series cutting plotters

Print Finishing

mutoh sc pro 

Wide-format inkjet printer and vinyl cutting plotter manufacturer Mutoh Europe nv announces that it has integrated two new features into its SC-PRO series of professional sign cutting plotters.  Apart from regular kiss-cutting of lettering jobs and automated contour cutting of pre-printed stickers, Mutoh SC-PRO cutters now also incorporate a cut through function and a poster trim feature.
 
The new cut through function allows cutting through both the self-adhesive vinyl and the vinyl’s protective backing paper. This will enable users  to “finish” individual contour-cut sticker designs. The new poster trim feature will enable trimming of poster designs, eliminating the hassle having to
do this manually.
 
The two new features are now standard integrated into Mutoh SC-PRO series cutters.  Installed-base SC-PRO users will be able to have access to these features via a regular firmware upgrade.

All that is required to perform semi-automatic poster trimming on an SC-PRO cutter is that the  printed poster comes with a registration mark printed in each corner. After loading the poster into the cutting plotter, the operator can have the cutter memorize the four registration marks using the SC-PRO’s integrated laser beam. Once this is done, the poster will be automatically trimmed via activation of the cut through function on the cutter’s control panel.
 
The cut through functionality enables cutting through both the self-adhesive vinyl and the vinyl’s protective backing paper to individually finish sticker designs which may have been contour-cut previously with the SC-PRO cutter.   Stickers that have been cut through can afterwards be easily removed from the vinyl.
 
Cut through can be performed in two different ways. A first method consists in adapting the cutting force of one single knife holder which performs both contour cutting of pre-printed stickers and cut through of each individual sticker.  A second method is to use two separate knife holders, the first one for contour cutting and the second knife holder for cut through. A test pattern integrated in the SC-PRO firmware will enable testing of cut through parameters per type of material that is used and to freeze optimum cut through pre-sets in the application software driving the SC-PRO.
 
The new cut through functionality for Mutoh’s SC-PRO cutters is now already supported via Mutoh Edition software versions of EasySign®, SAi® and Caldera® RIP software, as well as the original versions of these RIPs.