Nilpeter has introduced a brand new version of its budget FB line narrow web flexo press. But whereas the old FB line machines used a mechanical drive, the new FB uses dual servo print units, which completely changes the value proposition of the FB line.
This is because narrow web flexo presses have been transitioning from mechanical drives to servo motors over the course of the last ten years or so. But there are still a lot of older mechanical presses around, and many companies have built up the tooling and expertise to work with them, plus the spare parts are relatively inexpensive. So it made perfect sense for most flexo label press vendors to continue to manufacture the mechanical drive systems that they had developed and to market these as budget models.
In Nilpeter’s case, the old FB line was slightly more advanced than a purely mechanical drive, having one servo motor per print unit driving the impression cylinder. Alan Barretto, managing director of Nilpeter India, explains, “The anilox and the print cylinders are driven off the impression cylinder via precision gears. There is no line shaft or gear boxes in any of our presses.”
Servo motors offer much more precise control, and their settings can be stored and repeated. This in turn allows for more automation, and makes it easier to handle a wide range of different substrates at high speed since the tension and other settings can all be pre-set. This can cut the operator’s work load and the level of skill required. More importantly, it can also open up the range of applications, including shrink and in-mould labels as well as sachets and pouches. Adding more servos allows for more automation, with the savings and wider application range from that automation used to justify the cost of the top-of-the-range presses.
However, with the cost of servo motors coming down, and increased competition from Chinese and Indian press manufacturers, there’s now a lot more automation available to the more price-conscious flexo press customers. So, it appears that Nilpeter has created a new mid-range press segment to take advantage of this. Nilpeter wouldn’t be drawn on the pricing other than to say that the new FB Line is positioned between the original, now called FB Classic, and the FA Line.
Nilpeter’s new FB Line narrow web flexo press is available in 14-inch and 17-inch widths Photo NilpeterAt first glance, the new press sounds a lot like a lite version of the existing FA but Martin Fjordlund Teilberg, Nilpeter’s Global Marketing manager, assures me that this is not the case, saying, “It is a completely separate product from the FA with its own manufacturing.” This preserves the FA as a premium product but means that there’s no option to upgrade the FB to an FA specification in the future.
In fact, the new FB line, as with the old FB presses, is manufactured at Nilpeter’s plant in Chennai, India. Nilpeter has developed a new dual servo printhead, which has full 360-degree automatic register adjustment as well as a pre-register system. Barretto explains, “The dual servo has one servo driving the web and the other driving the anilox roll. The print cylinder gear meshes with a gear on the anilox drive. The ability to control the print cylinder independently of the web movement gives great flexibility in register control.”
This print unit can handle substrates from 15 to 300 microns, and has been designed for multi-substrate printing, including unsupported film. The new FB line can be configured with up to 14 of these print units, which should give converters a lot of options.
In addition, Nilpeter has used its PowerLink control system for the new FB, which means that some of the converting units that have been developed for the more expensive FA line can also be used with the FB models. That should allow these presses to be configured for specific effects and applications to add a great deal of flexibility.
As before, the new FB is available in two widths, but to distinguish the versions Nilpeter is using imperial sizing for the new models and metric for the old, which brings the FB series in line with the FA models. Thus the old models are the 350 and 430 while the new FB versions are 14-inches and 17-inches, which actually equate to web widths of 370 and 450mm.
Both can run at up to 175 meters per minute, which is slower than the 228 meters per minute of the mechanical presses. That said, you’d need a first class operator and for the press to be in absolutely tip-top condition to realize anything close to 228 mpm so most customers will probably get more productivity out of the newer model.
Peter Eriksen, Nilpeter’s chief operating officer, commented, “The new FB-Line is strategically very important to Nilpeter and our customer base. We know that the market has been looking for a product positioned between our popular FB-Classic workhorse and our highly advanced FA-Line. With the new FB-Line, printers receive a very high level of automation and operator friendliness, but at an investment level that is accessible to a broader segment.”
He continued, “We have already received a lot of positive feedback from several customers, and there’s been significant interest in our new press. This enthusiasm from the market is reflected in the fact, that several presses have already been sold before its official launch.”
I understand that Nilpeter has sold ten of these presses already, with three going to India and seven to Latin America. Naturally, Nilpeter will also show off the new press at the upcoming Label Expo show in Chicago, USA, this September.
There’s an adaption kit available that will allow customers to use their existing tooling from the FB 350/430 models with the new 14/17 inch presses. That should help encourage existing customers to replace their old FB presses with the new range, since the need for new tooling is a hidden cost of new presses.
Barretto adds, “Automation and digitalisation are at the forefront of this initiative, and the New FB-Line embodies our commitment to these principles, offering our customers the best in technology and quality, considering the associated costs. Compatible with FB-350/-430 tooling through an adaptation kit, this new press provides greater flexibility by allowing customers to reuse tools from their existing presses.”
Teilberg says that the FB Classic will still be available as the entry-level option with very limited automation, adding, “We continue to see a high demand for this press in various markets.”
You can find further details on the new FB line from nilpeter.com.
NB: I’ve updated this story with some additional information on the functionality of the new FB line and to clarify the drive system on the old FB line, as well as noting that both FB presses are manufactured in India.
You can find further details on the new FB line from nilpeter.com
Reprinted by permission from the Printing and Manufacturing Journal where this article first appeared, on 19 August 2024. www.nessancleary.co.uk The updated version appeared on 26 August 2024. Updated on our website on 30 August 2024.
