New Highcon Laser Die Cutter

[UK Printer]

Is it just me or does this sound like the most amazing bit of kit, i'm a sucker for a gadget, but this does sound very nifty indeed.

Highcon unveils 'disruptive' digital die-cutting kit | printweek.com | Latest Print Industry News, Jobs, Features, Product Reviews, Used Printing and Packaging Machinery

Anyone know anything more about this?

Tim

[Al Ferrari]

Sounds interesting. Did the video work for you? I can't get it to work at all. Nothing happens after 20 minutes.

Al

[mazengh]

I saw the video, VERY INTERESTING indeed, i hope they display it during drupa 2012

[Al Ferrari]

OK, I finally got the video to work. I guess they were down for a while.

Unfortunately it shows very little about the new, and spends most of the time denigrating the old. It does a good job of that.

What I get out of the video is that they have made a tremendous leap in "direct to cylinder" die creation. But from what I can see in that video the die cutting itself is still sheet fed cylinder die cutting. Note that nothing is said about the removal of the waste from the die cut blanks. In fact their delivery system appears to need the blanks to remain attached to waste. To see a solution to this blank/waste separating challenge visit Best Cutting Die Flexible Dies

Now think about the potential that results from putting those two technologies together!

Al

[dabob]

Al,

What I get out of the video is that the scoring is still a cylinder operation but the cutting takes place with the laser immediately after the scoring cylinder but your right I don't see any stripping operation before the stacking but it appears that you could add extra cuts to the sheet to make removing the excess very easy . . ..

[Al Ferrari]

Thanks, but you should watch the video again more carefully. The part about the new technology begins at approximately 4 minutes into the video. The laser action process is at 4:20 with NO paper passing under the cylinder which is being "imaged".

As for stripping, note that the sheets are being carried by grippers. The gripper edge is NOT part of the die cut blanks. The gripper edge of the sheet becomes part of the waste! How will the die cut blanks get delivered by this type of sheet transport method if not attached to the gripper edge?

Al

Edit: I think I am wrong about the use of grippers. On watching it again I see that the sheets are carried by a belt (vacuum belt?), but the sheets do indeed remain full size at the delivery.

[dabob]

The cylinder is the scoring portion, and what you see is the scoring lines(?) being applied see image attached

The other image is the laser cutting the sheet after it is scored

At least that the way I see it

[Al Ferrari]

OK. I see it your way now.

They could do better to add some sound explanation about it so that we would not have needed this discussion.

The time devoted to denigrating the old is poorly invested. Those in that segment of our industry already know about those expensive space and time issues. But perhaps they are aiming their message to entry level future users instead. Same as the digital printing equipment makers have done.

Al

[chevalier]

jaw = dropped

I sure hope this is real and actually reliable/consistent.

We had a customer today decide they wanted to alter a die that was approved and 90% made. They threw a real fit when we told them the costs to make the change.

[Al Ferrari]

It's already been going on in a smaller format:

Laser die cutter for self adhesive labels - YouTube

laser diecutting - YouTube

Al