SMART DESIGN

LABELS&LABELING |85
Creating a Legacy
SHIFTING GEAR from operator trainer to press manufacturer, Flexo Trade Services’ Art Fields is confident his
Legacy narrow web machine fills a significant gap for smaller shops. Andy Thomas reports
A new press manufacturer is set to enter
the North American narrow web market
offering a range of economically priced,
gear-driven flexo presses which can
be easily maintained by smaller
converting shops.
Legacy Press Company was founded
by Art Fields, who owns leading
flexo training school Flexo Trade
Services. ‘I made the decision to start
manufacturing presses the moment
I heard that Mark Andy were to stop
manufacturing the 2200,’ Fields tells
L&L. ‘I realized that left a big gap in
the market for the smaller converting
shop with annual sales under seven
million US dollars. Although these
guys account for over 65 percent of the
narrow web label converters in the US
today, this market is the least catered to
by the major press manufacturers.’
Although pricing is to be confirmed,
a 10-color Legacy press is expected
to sell for around 400,000 US dollars.
Given that most smaller label converters
are challenged for floor space, the
press has a highly compact design;
a fully loaded 10-color machine will
have a maximum footprint of 28in (nine
meters).
Fields is insistent that the Legacy
presses are not ‘entry level’ machines.
The press components will be built
by well known North American-based
OEM partners, each operating under
ten year contracts. The presses will
be assembled at the Legacy plant in
South Carolina.
The Legacy LG presses will be
available in 10 and 13in widths and
are designed primarily to convert PS
materials. A film-specific 13in press –
again purely line-shaft driven - is also
being developed.
‘The LG10 and LG13 presses will be
the most mechanically advanced presses
on the market,’ enthuses Fields. ‘At the
same time they will be easy to maintain,
since most smaller shops do not have
the specially trained technicians required
to maintain complex servo-driven
presses packed with electronic controls.’
POD FOUR
The Legacy presses are designed
around modular ‘PODs' (Pull Out Deck
systems), moveable carriages on which
a print or converting deck is positioned.
Each machine can be configured with
up to ten PODs, including – in addition
to flexo – screen, variable data, coating,
corona treatment and dryer modules.
These can be added in any order. If a
process is required on a one-off basis,
additional PODs can be rented as well
as bought.
Each POD sits on a fixed rail platform
claimed to guarantee perfect alignment
when PODs are moved in and out of
the press. PODs are interchangeable
between Legacy machines, meaning,
for example, that a customer could
temporarily convert two 6-unit presses
into one 8- or 10-color press as required.
In addition, the die stations are interchangeable
and can be placed anywhere
on the press. Multiple die stations can be
utilized when needed. ‘I estimate that 85
percent of jobs in flexo are six colors or
less, so people are being forced to buy
8- and 10- color presses for just a few
jobs,’ says Fields.
The presses are built to be changed
over quickly, as Fields explains: ‘A
press can be changed from 1-color to a
10-color press by one operator in less
time than it takes to setup an 8-color job
on current press designs. And you can
break down a Legacy press and put it
back together again in under four hours
using nothing more than a pallet jack.’
A rail system which runs the full length
of the press allows turn bars, cold foil
units and other add-on equipment to
be positioned anywhere on the press
line. The unwind unit can be moved
on the same rail. If all print units were
removed, the press could be used solely
for die cutting or configured as a simple
rewinder.
The Legacy press flexo units utilize a
metering roll and reverse angle doctor
blade built around FLXON’s G2 Quick
Change Blade Holder. The press can be
adapted to any size of print cylinder
in minutes.
The ink deck slides out on a clever
hinge system and can be turned parallel
to the press for easy handling and
cleaning. The deck can be removable
independently from the POD carriage
where required.
The Legacy presses will be supplied
with IR/hot air drying units as standard.
Those requiring full UV will be supplied
with AAA’s Light Touch UV system.
The LG10 and LG13 presses will run
most types of label substrates from PS
to foils, paper and synthetic materials
up to 14pt. The machines will run at a
maximum speed of 500 ft/min. Maximum
print repeat is 20in, though 24in repeat
PODs can be purchased.
In an arena as crowded as today’s
narrow web press sector, it seems
astonishing that a completely new
supplier could emerge with no heritage
of machine building. But Fields and his
co-founders firmly believe they have
identified a market niche not currently
being served – and have customdesigned
both a press and company
structure to meet those needs.
The first public showing will be 22
August at a Flexographic Trade Services
open house.
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