Hood Packaging Purchases F&K Flexo Press

ROSELAND, N.J.—In a move to strengthen its position in technological leadership in a large segment of the North American industrial sack and plastics packaging markets, Hood Packaging Corporation, Plastics Packaging, Calgary, Canada has purchased a state-of-the-art Fischer & Krecke FP 26S-8+1 CI Flexo press from the Bobst Group. Customer trials of the press are underway in F&K’s Bielefeld, Germany facilities.

The Hood press will be the first press in North America equipped with the new smartGPS, a new technology for setting registration and impression, officially introduced at drupa 2008. By doing away with the need to set up impression and register while the substrate is running in the press, smartGPS virtually eliminates waste of substrate, ink, solvent, energy, machine time and labor costs while significantly accelerating changeover times and improving quality.

In addition to the smartGPS, the new Hood press is equipped with a downstream station for electron beam cured varnish and is capable of speeds to 2000 feet per minute. It can run print widths to 65 inches with standard repeats of 53 inches. The press is equipped with F&K’s Extension, a system that allows increasing the repeat length by using multiple print units to print a single image. With the first unit printing one part and additional units sequentially printing other parts of the repeat, it is possible to multiply the FP 26S’s 53 inch repeat by as much as 8 times. By employing the smartGPS system and alternately lifting each ink unit, all parts of the print design are precisely matched and form a single, essentially seamless image.

According to Gary Sutherland, Plant Manager, Hood Packaging, Industrial Films Calgary, “We looked at several presses but none had the versatility, speed and quality production that equaled the FP 26S.” He believes the smartGPS technology will provide Hood with major advantages in quality and economy.