The latest Kongsberg digital cutting and creasing innovation from Esko, a global provider of integrated hardware and software solutions for the packaging, label and wide format sectors, makes it possible for corrugated converters to cut, crease and perforate jobs without the need to change tools, boosting finishing productivity by up to 50%.
The newly launched Dual Heavy Duty Unit means operators no longer need to manually intervene in tool changes on Kongsberg digital cutting tables for those jobs that require creasing, cutting and perforation. The machine will automatically switch and use the right tool throughout the job, significantly ramping-up production efficiency.
Thanks to the uniquely engineered design of a Kongsberg table, it is possible to exercise an unrivalled 50kg of downforce on corrugated materials from single to triple wall, without compromising speed or quality. The Dual Heavy Duty Unit delivers better crease quality, even on materials with a high recycled material content. When combined with the Esko CorruSpeed Tool, converters can cut and perforate corrugated substrates with die-cut like quality at full machine speeds of up to 100m/min, offering the ultimate short run digital cutting solution for corrugated applications.
The CorruSpeed Tool is designed specifically for high-speed digital finishing of corrugated board and is unique in that it uses a static knife in combination with a patented knife foot design to simulate the effects of ejection rubbers in conventional die tooling. The unique design results in cleaner, more accurate cuts, without burrs. It produces a crisp edge finish even at the highest speeds, smoothly cutting a wide variety of corrugated board types up to 7mm double wall BC flutes.
The new Dual Heavy Duty Unit is a unique step forward for the Kongsberg range. It combines, for the first time, two independent wheels in one heavy duty unit. Unlike other solutions, operators maintain all the advantages of superior downforce and speed with the advantages of additional flexibility and higher throughput.
Russell Weller, Esko Product Manager, commented: “The new Dual Heavy Duty Unit is perfect for corrugated point of sale and packaging jobs, allowing our customers to run without changing tools, delivering productivity boosts of up to 50%.”
“It enables faster machine setup and higher quality digital cutting and creasing of corrugated board - targeted at sample making and short run production of corrugated containers, displays and signage – so most importantly speed and quality does not suffer,” he said. “Both positions still pack a 50kg downforce and run through material at full machine speeds. When converters add the CorruSpeed tool into the mix, corrugated board can be cut at 100m/min with die-cut like quality that is not achievable anywhere else.”
The Dual Heavy Duty Unit and Corruspeed tool retrofit on all existing Kongsberg C, Kongsberg C Edge and Kongsberg XP tables running iPC.
