Autobond’s new Mini 76 TPE-H, a revolution in combining lamination and encapsulation capabilities.

Heralding a major breakthrough in finishing technology, Autobond’s new Mini 76 TPE-H, standing for Thermal, Perfector, Encapsulator, Heidelberg feeder, is the world’s first laminator/encapsulator. And it bridges the void between lamination and encapsulation, bringing the specialist process of encapsulation to the world of digital print where lamination is already well established. Looking for the whys and wherefores, and talking to Autobond MD John Gilmore, it seems that taking direction from Stateside trends, the company had very much come up with a concept that already has a huge demand in the US that is certainly likely to migrate to the European scene. Essentially encapsulation, until now, has mostly involved hand fed or slow auto fed operations, carried out by small finishing companies, says John Gilmore. “It’s slow and pernickety processing,” he says. Adding encapsulation capabilities to lamination in a dual function machine simply provides the option for those companies who need encapsulation to have it at their fingertips when they need it without having to outsource. And with an encapsulation facility on the same laminating machine, they can also grow the business of encapsulation.

“We take a lot of our development direction from the US, exhibiting there since 1985,” says John Gilmore. “For the past 15 years, we have been about developing what the US market calls an edge seal machine, that’s encapsulation to us. Two years ago we built a two sided thin film laminator with a perfector option.” And the result of the unveiling was that the company had 88 enquiries on whether the machine could be used for encapsulation. So evaluating, further developing and testing, Autobond responded with a dual process encapsulator and laminator.

Looking at the logistics of the dual machine, lamination requires chrome and hard rubber rollers whereas encapsulation needs two smaller diameter rubber rollers. Autobond was able to integrate the two disparate roller formats into a single design, introducing the world’s first laminator/encapsulator, a B1 machine that can laminate one or both sides of a sheet in a single pass and can be changed over in a matter of minutes to provide encapsulation facilities

Notably, Autobond has also developed a B1 cross cutting machine for the US market, discovering since that the market there will more than likely also want A2 and smaller. As a result the company has produced a B2 version for Chicago’s Graph Expo 08 show very much aware that for digital applications, a 57in version will be in demand, based on the simple fact that the iGen 3 is currently the biggest digital printer at SRA2/B3.

out that it was easier to initially develop a larger machine and design smaller that to do the reverse. That way, machine sizes can be reduced and produced according to demand, he adds.

So with a 76x102cm maximum sheet size, Mini 76 TPE-H entered the finishing stage with its unique ability to be used for single and double sided laminating, as well as encapsulation. It also boasts a range of optional features enabling it to be used in the production of floor graphics, pressure sensitive adhesive and fridge magnet lamination.

“Mini 76 TPE-H can be built to suit a customer’s specification,” says John Gilmore. “If the need is to handle stock down to A5, for example, then we can fit a Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 feed head. But if A4 is the minimum sheet size likely to be required, we would fit a Speedmaster 74 feed head.”

The machine, which costs around £120,000, features an angled feed table with micro-adjustable side lays to guarantee accurate side positioning of the sheets which is essential during encapsulation. Integrated electronic front lays operate as a servo-driven sheet correctional device and when laminating thin film, the grip edge of the sheet is underlapped. Using an ultrasonic detector ensures an accurately controlled underlap of the sheets.

In operation for encapsulation, the operator can precisely set the gap between the sheets and this is said to remain completely accurate throughout an encapsulation run. Any sheets fed out of sync are advanced or retarded to give an exact gap. With this method, one cut is required to separate work and this fact alone is estimated by Autobond to save around 10 percent on film usage compared to cutters requiring a double cut.

In handling heavy gauge plastic film, Mini 76 TPE-H can be additionally fitted with Autobond’s CC76 servo driven cross cutter, providing a choice on best suitability between that and the existing cutter. The CC 76 features a separate servodriven in-feed that pulls the web in at extremely high speeds. The web stops exactly at the centre of the gap, where the servo-driven flying knife cuts the sheet.

The CC 76 cutter can also be programmed to produce a double cut for flush cut or tab work. It is also fitted with a pro-active web guidance system that is said to deliver pinpoint accuracy for the servo driven flying knife. Separated sheets are then fed on to a speed adjustable shingle table or into the vibrating jogger. Notably, Autobond can also supply this cutter as a standalone unit for use with other makes of laminator or encapsulator.

The encapsulation cutting blade, which is a circular disc, is easily changed over in under two minutes for an arrowhead type cutting blade for lamination. This blade can also be used for cross cutting single sided nylon and polyester where the sheets have been under-lapped.

Changeover time on the machine from lamination to encapsulation takes around three minutes and simply involves a few commands on the machine’s touch control panel and changing the film web path from the hard rubber/chrome laminating rollers to the two soft rubber encapsulation rollers.

Encapsulation on the Mini 76 TPE-H can be with 42micron/1.3mil, 75micron/ 3mil, 125micron/5mil or 250micron/ 10mil PET polyester. In laminating mode, the machine can apply 25micron matte or gloss OPP, on one or two sides in a single pass. Maximum lamination or encapsulation speed is 60m/min using stock for either process between 60 and 650gsm.

“The Mini 76 TPE-H can encapsulate 9000 A4 sheets/hr,” says John Gilmore, “and that’s a phenomenal output. The same machine will laminate both sides of a B1 sheet at 3600 sheets/hr or 7200 B2. We’ve incorporated side slitters with an edge waste rewind system that automatically rewinds edge trim on to a 75mm cardboard core on a quick make-ready airshaft. This ensures there is no untidy waste film around the working area of the machine.”

The machine’s feeder mill skid plate allows a full pallet of print to be loaded directly from the press, with the option of a stacker or jogger to be used at the delivery end. The stacker has an identical mill skid plate facility to that of the feeder. Where floor graphics require processing, to handle the type of plastic used and to apply magnetic material, Mini 76 TPE-H can be equipped with additional driven rewind and unwind rollers that are easily brought into use when required.

Mini 76 TPE-H features air coolers and water chilled rollers which maintain constant temperatures on the machine. It also has programmable logic control and inverter drives, a digital sheet counter, adjustable anti-curl bar, pneumatically adjustable in-feed nip rollers and a pneumatic air clutch to provide constant tension between the laminator and the sheeter.

Siemens Sinamics and Simotion control enable another world first, according to Autobond, with the recent addition to all its laminators of a wireless webcam and cordless Skype phone for highly sophisticated remote diagnostics.

“The level of automation makes the machine so straightforward to operate that we would expect to be able to train someone within a couple of days, while the new remote diagnostics facilities means that anyone with a problem has virtually instant access to one of our engineers,” says John Gilmore. “With the wireless webcam and Skype phone, an engineer can instruct an operator running a difficult job to move the camera around the machine, and even remove covers so that he can see inside. The webcam’s built-in microphone enables the engineer to listen, as well as to see, the different parts of the machine in operation.”

Make-ready on the Mini 76 TPE-H is fast, according to Autobond, requiring only two or three sheets in the process. So wastage is low. The machine is also highly cost effective for short and long runs. And with the significant pressures and temperatures that can be generated in the nip rollers, says John Gilmore, the machine can be used successfully with stock printed on digital presses. “We see a huge potential,” he concludes, “for the new Mini 76 TPE-H from companies that have a steady need for laminating but a level of demand for encapsulation that does not warrant the purchase of a dedicated encapsulator. With the Mini 76 TPEH, printers can offer both processes to their customers.”

So, if you are going to Drupa, check out this encapsulator/laminator and also take a look at another new machine from Autobond: a new B1 laminator/UV varnish coating machine.

www.autobondlaminating.com

Celebrating 30 years in finishing, family run Autobond was formed in 1978 by
chairman George Gilmore and run today by MD John Gilmore and his brother
Alan. The third generation is already heavily involved in the company, with two of
John Gilmore’s sons working in the business, one in the UK and one in the US.
Left to right are John Gilmore, Connor Gilmore, George Gilmore and Alan Gilmore
at the company’s Derbyshire factory in the UK.

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