The Roto-Hybrid team have delivered a number of presentations in the last few months to printers and convertors across the globe and to audiences at a number of printing and packaging conferences and meetings such as the ERA and GAA.
Whilst 2017 was a year of manufacturing development to facilitate both larger cylinders for the Hybrid Cylinder and dedicated coating equipment for the HCR chrome replacement cylinder technology, the focus in 2018 is to participate in even more end user trials and in-market evaluations of the technologies that make up the Roto-Hybrid Process.
Why Go Chrome Free?
The REACH regulation presents uncertainty to the gravure cylinder and anilox roller manufacturers supplying their markets and whilst temporary reprieves maybe granted, those reprieves still involve increased legislation and additional costs of compliance. However, whilst Hybrid Chrome Replacement removes the headaches of this continued and increasing issue of compliance and the associated costs the benefits of adopting the Roto-Hybrid Process are not just from a health, safety and environmental point of view, they offer significant technical gains and efficiencies in both cylinder pre-press and on press performance.
The Hybrid Chrome replacement coating is a Patent Pending environmentally safe hybrid cylinder coating process with its foundations in diamond-like-carbon which offers superior print results and lower print cost with increased cylinder longevity so the question then becomes why would you not go chrome free?
Current Deliverables
In line with the 24 month, €3m European Commission grant that Roto-Hybrid were awarded in mid 2016 and which commenced in December 2016, the focus has been on combining the Hybrid Cylinder and HCR technologies into one process, referred to as the Roto-Hybrid Process.
The chrome replacement cylinder coating technology came online as of Q1/2018 at our dedicated coating facility in Germany, whilst the first phase of delivering the size variable (polymer build-up) Hybrid Cylinder in excess of 900mm in face length is in the final stages with the new equipment in place in our plant in Holland.
During Q2/2018 and Q3/2018 the focus is to start the tooling up phase of our new Hybrid Cylinder equipment and to deliver the increased cylinder dimensions in two cycles, the first of which will see cylinders of up to 1400mm in face length made available, with 1780mm planned shortly after.
Request a Trial
Throughout 2018 RotoHybrid will be conducting a series of technology trials with a wider group of parties interested in using the Roto-Hybrid Process. To participate in a technology trial please email technology@rotohybrid.com for more details