Packaging Printing Revolution: OMET VaryFlex V4 for a Sustainable Future

On October 17, 2024, OMET hosted a successful Open House at the Innovation Park and Headquarters, where industry key players gathered to discover the latest OMET solutions for packaging printing.

Key Presentations on Industry Innovations

The event began with an introduction by Marco Calcagni, OMET Sales & Marketing Director, who opened the day with a focus on innovation and expertise. Then Roberto Speri, OMET Business development Manager, took the stage to explain the essence of OMET Packaging Printing Revolution and what technological enhancement have been driving to a new future of the printing industry.

The following presentations were focused on sustainability and regulatory updates. Brian Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Energy Science Inc., delivered a speech on EB: The Most Sustainable Web Offset Printing Process, emphasizing how Electron Beam (EB) technology is becoming the leading solution for eco-sustainable printing. Norbert Wünsch from Zeller-Gmelin provided an in-depth analysis of Inks for EB Printing, while Thomas Ellinger from Actega concluded the presentations with a discussion on the latest Regulatory Updates for UV Coatings.

Varyflex V4 Demonstration

After the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to visit OMET’s production facilities, where they witnessed a live demonstration of the Varyflex V4, a printing machine with combined offset/flexo technology dedicated to flexible packaging printing. The machine was presented with an 850 mm web width but is also available in widths of 670 mm and 1080 mm. It showcased its versatility by handling a wide range of materials, such as unsupported films and folding carton.

During the demonstration, the Varyflex V4 printed a coffee packaging on a 12-micron PET film using a combination of 4 EB offset colors and an EB flexo white. The hybrid printing process, performed at 300 meters per minute with a WET-on-WET configuration, demonstrated the machine’s ability to combine offset quality with the coverage of flexo white, all cured by Electron Beam technology. The quick job changeover, completed in less than 10 minutes, showcased the machine’s efficiency as it effortlessly switched to a 350-gram cardboard substrate, producing high-quality photographic prints with glossy and soft-touch coatings.

Impressive Automation and Ease of Use

The Varyflex V4 is based on an offset platform with sleeve technology and reaches a maximum mechanical speed of 400 meters per minute.

One of the key strengths of the Varyflex V4 is the fast job changeover, thanks to the Easy Sleeve Format Change system, which allows for a complete job change in a very short time in a simple, fast, and, most importantly, safe way. This significantly reduces job changeover downtime and increases operational flexibility, making it ideal for both short and long runs.

Thanks to OMET advanced tension control systems, the Varyflex V4 maintained optimal print quality on various substrates, minimizing waste and ensuring consistent results. The automatic pre-register and Vision system further reduced setup times, bringing each job to perfect register with minimal effort and material waste.

During the demonstration, Roberto Maiocchi, Sales & Marketing Manager of BST Eltromat Italia, a long-standing partner of OMET, provided valuable insights into the print quality control system, explaining how BST control devices integrated into OMET machines enable real-time quality monitoring, ensuring excellent and consistent results even during complex jobs.

Conclusion of the Event

The Open House ended with a light lunch at OMET Innovation Park, where participants exchanged ideas and experiences in a relaxed and collaborative environment. The event successfully demonstrated OMET’s continued leadership in the packaging printing industry, offering innovative, sustainable, and highly flexible solutions designed to meet the increasingly diverse needs of modern printing companies.