Comexi announces F2 Origin flexo

A couple of months ago Comexi announced a new wide web CI flexo press, the F2 Origin, but it has taken some time for the company to explain how this differs from the existing F2 Evolution.

Comexi has developed a number of new features, mostly around automating more functions on the press, which it has grouped together under the name Genius Tech. The company appears to be in the process of slowly updating its presses with new designs that incorporate these advances.

The F2 Origin is an 8-colour press that’s able to run at up to 400mpm. It features an 800mm repeat and takes a maximum web width of 1320mm. Jordi Puig, brand manager and business developer for Comexi’s flexo business, says: “We are looking at the most traditional flexible packaging market, where job lengths are becoming shorter and shorter and there is no need of a high speed machine but rather a compact and fast changeover machine.”

As such, the F2 Origin has been designed for greater efficiency and incorporates a number of the Genius Tech features. This includes the drying solution, GeniusDry, which combines software that adapts the system to the actual job requirements with new intercolour and tunnel nozzles that offers improved drying capacity with less total air in circulation. This should lead to greater efficiency, less sound emission, and an upper platform with access to tunnel and drying circuits for uncomplicated maintenance. There are three operating modes to GeniusDry – low, medium and high – which match the energy consumption, air flow to exhaust and solvent concentration to the job in hand. The solution can be retrofitted to older presses but is not as effective because the newer presses have been designed to for the air flow rate to be regulated by altering the fan speed and recirculation valve opening.

The GeniusFlow inking system has been optimised to reduce the use of ink and solvent. There is one pump system to reduce maintenance as well as air consumption, plus pipeless doctor blades for easy change and GeniusDoctoring for minimal dot gain. 

The press is highly automated under a system that Comexi has called GeniusPrint, which is less dependent on the individual operator’s skills and should lead to faster job changeovers and is essential to make short runs competitive. It includes complete integration of linear cameras for the use of GeniusPrint and CingularReal2, as well as improved video accessibility from the upper platform. 

Customers can configure the press with single unwinder & rewinder for the shortest runs, to a turret unwinder & rewinder for long run maximum performance. 

Comexi has also developed a solution to optimise the energy efficiency of its presses, and which is available for all models. GeniusEnergy provides information related to the operable energy used for a specific job. This information is obtained by adding required measurement devices, such as flowmeters, temperature sensors, among others, for various prerequisite energies. This also includes software that makes all the related calculations. 

The existing F2 Evolution also shares many of these same features. However, this is a 10-colour machine with a maximum web width of 1520mm and can produce up to 600mpm. Consequently this is aimed at longer run applications where high speed is more useful. Paid says that the technologies in both machines are the same, noting: “We do not differentiate the needs in quality, easy of use, fast changeover, connectivity, finishings, sustainability and so on. These are all common, no matter the market or the machine model.”

The F2 Origin will be available at some point in 2023. In the meantime, you can find further details from comexi.com.