For converters handling flexible packaging films, a Gearless CI flexo press eliminates the gear train entirely, replacing mechanical transmission with independent servo motors on each print deck. This design is frequently specified as a shaftless CI flexo press because no main driveshaft links the plate cylinders. The architecture works as a full servo CI flexo press, enabling rapid repeat length changes, low dot gain, and tight register accuracy on extensible substrates. As a servo-driven CI flexographic press, it provides closed-loop tension control and integrated drying for high-speed production.
The Gearless Central Impression Flexographic Press is engineered for high-volume flexible packaging applications such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, aluminum foil lamination, and shrink film. Its servo-controlled direct-drive system removes backlash from the print path and keeps the central impression drum thermally stable, which supports precise multi-color registration at speeds above 350 meters per minute. Digital pre-registration and automatic print pressure adjustment reduce setup waste to less than 60 meters per job change. The press can be configured with 8 or 10 color decks, overhead hot-air drying, and in-line corona treatment for film surface activation.
Each print deck uses a dedicated servo motor with a response time below 0.5 milliseconds. Automatic register control reads printed marks with high-speed optical sensors and corrects circumferential and lateral deviation without stopping the web. Running register accuracy stays within ±0.05 mm on most substrates, including low-tension films. The central impression drum is double-walled and temperature-controlled to prevent diameter variation during long runs.
The sleeve-based plate and anilox system allows a complete deck change in less than five minutes per color. Operators can load repeat length, print pressure, and tension settings from the HMI, which stores up to 500 job recipes. Closed-loop tension control uses load cells and segmented rollers to maintain web stability from unwind to rewind. A taper tension function supports stretch-prone films such as thin LDPE and CPP.
The overhead hot-air drying system provides adjustable air velocity and temperature from 40°C to 90°C. Exhaust volume is automatically balanced to maintain safe solvent levels, and the recirculation ratio can be set for water-based or solvent-based inks. The servo drive system consumes about 15–20% less energy than comparable gear-driven presses because power is applied only to the printing decks in use.
Key mechanical and control specifications are listed below:
Detailed technical parameters are shown in the table below:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Print width | 850 mm / 1050 mm / 1250 mm / 1450 mm |
| Maximum mechanical speed | 400 m/min |
| Repeat length range | 300–900 mm (option 250–1000 mm) |
| Number of color decks | 8 or 10 |
| Substrate thickness | 12–150 µm |
| Registration accuracy | ±0.05 mm |
| Main drive power per deck | 15 kW servo motor |
| Anilox roll LPI range | 60–1200 LPI |
| Unwind / rewind diameter | 800 mm / 1000 mm |
| Drying system | Overhead hot air, 2-zone or 4-zone |
| Web tension range | 20–200 N |
| Control system | Siemens or Rockwell PLC with 15-inch HMI |
| Optional modules | Corona treater, web cleaner, viscosity control |
