Features Packaging Printing
Bobst introduces Nova RS 5003 gravure press for flexible packaging

Bobst has launched the Nova RS 5003, a new gravure press engineered for water- and solvent-based ink printing on a variety of flexible packaging materials including the new eco-friendly substrates.

The press launch took place at Bobst (Changzhou) Co. Ltd.’s facility in the Jiangsu province of China, dedicated to the production of web-fed equipment for the flexible packaging industry. The event was attended by brand owners, converting companies, industry suppliers and members of the trade press.

“The region is buzzing with interest since news of the launch of the Nova RS 5003 that takes over from the very successful RS 5002 press with new powerful features and automation,” explained Sebastien Geffrault, Zone Business Director SEAP, Business Unit Web-fed at Bobst. “Our gravure solutions bring together all the advantages of Bobst leading-edge technology with the flexibility of configuring them with market-related technical solutions. For example the choice of inking systems that can handle a broad variety of ink types, including the market-specific varieties that are used in the Indian and Asian flexible packaging industry, always with the highest graphic quality.”

The Nova RS 5003 boasts best-in-class automation including the possibility to add TAPS, a fully automatic pre-register setting at the touch of a button. Job makeready and changeovers are very fast, according to the company, which describes the new doctor blade system as “easy and quick to set.” Meanwhile the Twin Trolley solution can change the printing cylinder without changing the ink, minimizing job changeovers and colour matching time, Bobst explains.

The twin flow dryers, Bobst says, form a “highly efficient” ventilation system designed to minimize residual solvent on substrate, thus maximizing energy savings and ensures low noise level in the pressroom. It is also a suitable platform for water-based inks, where drying capacity is one of the main concerns.

The new Bobst Sphere Human Machine Interface enable full control of production quality and efficiency, including creation of a digital twin of produced reels, downtime tracking and waste management, and maintenance programming.