Rotatek to showcase Universal 850

Rotatek will showcase the Universal 850 printing press at an open house running from January 12 to 16 at its manufacturing facility in Barcelona, Spain, where attendees will experience the company's factory operations and interact with its production, management and research and development teams.

The Universal 850 is a versatile rotary press that combines offset and flexo sleeve technologies, delivering high-quality printing across pharma inserts, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, folding cartons and in-mold labels (IML).

The live demonstration will feature the Rotatek Universal 850 configured with seven offset and two flexo printing stations, alongside the Rietstack 850 off-line die-cutting system for a fully integrated IML production workflow.

'Rotatek Universal web-offset printing combines the core advantages of flexo and sheet-fed offset while eliminating their limitations, delivering a superior quality, economical option for high-performance in-mold label production,' stated Rotatek.

The press features Rotatek's patented interchangeable light offset sleeve system, which enables fast format changes. Job changeovers are completed by simply removing and replacing sleeves, reducing downtime and eliminating the risk of material breakage during transitions.

The Universal 850 offers format flexibility up to 1016 mm repeat lengths and lower origination costs, with offset plates significantly more economical than flexo plates or rotogravure rollers.

'The major point in the resurgence of offset presses for flexible packaging is the elevated demand for low cost and short time span of origination with the help of offset plates,' said Ranesh Bajaj, managing director of Rotatek-Vinsak. 'The live videos at our manufacturing site will help visitors to get an overview of our commitment and potential for innovation. We are going to welcome 100 giant flexo converters to our open house event.'

The open house targets new IML producers and companies planning to enter the packaging segment, large sheet-fed offset printers looking to transition to web-fed efficiency, flexo converters seeking to reduce plate costs and achieve return on investment within three to four years, and packaging producers requiring long repeat lengths or focused on increasing capacity while reducing waste, labor and production costs.

Registrations are currently open at the Rotatek and parent company Vinsak's website.