Kimoha marks 25 years with Gallus ECS 340

The ECS 340 installed at Kimoha is the 23^rd Gallus narrow web label press installed across the Middle East, where Heidelberg ME is the Swiss manufacturer’s representative.

The new flexo line joins two other Gallus presses at Kimoha; an eight-color water-based Gallus EM 510, including corona treater and web cleaning, chill drums, three die-cutting stations, laminating, web tension control, and automatic registration; and an EM 280, also an eight-color water-based machine, but with cold foil unit and two die-cutting stations.

The new Gallus ECS 340 has been specified with eight UV flexo print stations, and has cold foil capabilities and two die-cutting stations. It runs at around 100m/min.

Kimoha’s managing director Vinesh Bhimani said: ‘Our three Gallus presses give us a broad range of capabilities, and this is proving to be a real bonus in handling the variety of work we undertake.’

As well as the flexo press installation, Kimoha has recently moved into a new 18,000 sq m factory, featuring a number of environmental protection initiatives. This includes use of natural light, energy saving programs and waste handling. The factory also only uses water-based inks and varnishes, and converts substrates sourced from suppliers with approved conservation policies.

The flexo press are supported by a Xeikon 3300 digital unit, which Bhimani said complements Kimoha's conventional printing and allows it to respond to market demands. ‘We were one of the first label printers in the region with a digital press and use it for ultra-short runs and instant proofing,' he said.

‘It gives us added production flexibility, and its fast turnaround has the capacity to shorten delivery times from several weeks to one day. But, it is not intended to replace our conventional print technology, and I don’t see it doing so.’