Gidue recently opened its doors to present the new M9 ‘all in one pass’ multi-process press for the carton and packaging industry.
The Italian manufacturer held an open house at its headquarters in Tavarnuzze, Tuscany, on 6 -8 February.
The redesigned M9 press offers heavy-duty frames, independent servo-driven inking units and format cassettes, to achieve short set-up times and wastes. Each offset print unit is driven by a total of seven servo motors and is one of the most automated and efficient print units in the carton and packaging industry.
Among its further innovations, the M9 offers a new flexo print unit which can use water-based and UV inks with high power drying speed also on heavy solids. The flexo unit is placed on the Gidue universal platform and can be easily interchanged with screen, cold foil, hot stamping process heads and a new tension control system for cartons up to 500 gsm has been developed.
The M9 also comes with a new converting section, with three die-cutting stations for self-adhesive substrates, three heavy duty die-cutting stations for thick carton for embossing, creasing and die-cutting, one rotary servo-driven sheeting stations for heavy carton, one high-pile newly designed high-speed stacker and one dedicated delivery table for beer labels.
Managing director, Federico d’Annunzio said, ‘Labels and packaging industries are getting closer, the M9 is designed to create a ‘bridge’ between the two markets. The M9 fulfils most of the commitments of high-end added value packaging, which can be produced ‘all in one-pass’ using several printing and converting technologies. This also helped us to develop new ‘short-runs’ technologies in gravure, offset and flexo printing and in the converting sections. The first M9 will be delivered to a major Chinese converter to print liquor boxes and cigarettes packages who is looking for very high printing quality and new ‘exclusive’ packaging solutions.’
During the three day eventseveral live demonstrations were given. These were of a 12 colour carton job which was then compared to the demonstration of a 12 colour paper job. The guests had the opportunity to see the printing process of 450 gsm carton box packaging and of the new heavy carton converting section. They had a chance to understand how the M9 can switch from carton to a typical self-adhesive job, and were also shown several other machines, such as the new Combat MX dedicated to the self-adhesive market, the Combat M3 for sleeves and wrap around labels and the Master M5.
