BOBST showcases developments in gravure technology for coating applications

A latest generation aluminium coating line at Bobst Italia’s production plant in San Giorgio Monferrato, ready to be delivered to its new owner in Europe, provided the perfect opportunity for BOBST to hold a major two-day event that would gather in Italy local and international players from the converting industry.

The symposium sessions were held at a conference venue close to Bobst Italia’s facility. BOBST specialists and guest speakers from Taghleef Industries and Actega Rhenania addressed the technical advances and opportunities that the latest coating and drying technologies, substrates and coating formulations offer to meet the challenges faced by today’s converting industry.

Detlef Merklinger, head of product line coating for BOBST, welcomed the guests, together with Michele Vitiello, managing director of Bobst Italia. He then introduced BOBST Business Unit Web-fed and the organization and activities of the Coating Product Line he has been managing within the Business Unit since his appointment in June 2014. BOBST’s core competences in coating are found at Bobst Italia, which is also the Group’s center of excellence for gravure printing, laminating and extrusion coating technologies. The current BOBST range of coating machines reflects the over 50 years of know-how and experience that the company boasts in coating applications and the numerous installations that have been put into operation worldwide since 1960. Detlef Merklinger also introduced the competences of BOBST in terms of technologies that are most relevant for coating lines: winding, coating, drying, laminating, web handling and automation. Besides, attendees could also see the ROTOCOAT aluminium lacquering machine, an impressive double-deck, 45 m long, 8 m high production line. The machine features three coating stations for direct gravure coating with closed chamber doctor blade and semiflexo coating, along with three dryers which can reach up to 350°C air temperature depending on the application requirements, over a total dryer length of 45 m.

This successful two-day event was the latest opportunity for BOBST to show the scope of its commitment to the development of state-of-the-art solutions for the coating industry.