laser

Skymark re-enforce reputation as a flexible packaging innovator with the purchase of a Universal X6 Laser Perforator

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Since forming in 1987 Skymark Packaging Ltd have strived to put themselves at the forefront of innovation. In the competitive world of flexible packaging Skymark are one of a select group of companies who are prepared to prove their commitment to constant innovation. One of the most tangible ways that Skymark has made their position clear is by publicly announcing details of investment programs. The company recently announced that they have invested in a Universal X6 Laser perforation Slitter Rewinder.

The Universal X6 Laser perforation Slitter Rewinder gives Skymark the capacity to process a wide range of flexible packaging films. During the slitting process films can be either perforated to modify the atmosphere within the package or scored to make packing easier to open for the consumer.

The laser scoring technology on the universal X6 enables packaging films to be perforated to a high level of accuracy at speeds of 350m/min. This gives Skymark the ability to selectively score one or more layers of laminated film. This enables the production of ‘easy peel’ packaging that won’t compromise the barrier properties of the complete packaging. Commenting on the investment, Skymark Director, Paul Neath said, “The investment in laser perforation and scoring capacity is part of a larger expansion programme. We chose Universal as they are able to offer local support for both the slitting machine and the Rofin laser system. Universal also have over 20 years experience with similar laser systems”

In addition to laser perforation and scoring technology, the universal X6 is fitted with the same hyper-productivity technologies as the popular X6 Slitter Rewinder. Including automatic knife and core positioning. Other common features, including on-screen diagnostics and remote support ensure that the X6 is consistently productive. As with all Universal Slitters the new Universal X6 at Skymark comes with free lifetime support.

2017 has been a year of great progress for Skymark Packaging Ltd. News of the purchase of an X6 closely followed news of an important award for sustainability. The new machinery will be installed at the Skymark facility at Scunthorpe in the UK. Alan Jones, Managing Director of Universal Converting Equipment commented “The growth of Skymark is mirrored by the growth of Universal. Having acquired additional buildings, Universal is set to double its output of X6 slitter rewinders in 2018. Although most of the machines are exported it is always good to supply companies that are closer to home.”

Find out more about the Universal X6lp…

X6lp Laser slitter rewinder

Laser core alignment, what’s in the kit and how does it work?

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Laser core alignmentThere has recently been a surge of interest in our laser core alignment system, so we have written this post to explain how the system is installed and how it works.

Core positioning.
We fit our ComputaCore Laser Core Alignment System to many of the slitters we manufacture, and we also offer our laser core alignment system as a kit for installation on slitters made by other manufacturers.  A measurement is taken from a fixed point (a ‘datum’) to ensure that the position of the cores is correct in relation to the slitter knives.  We have a great deal of experience in upgrading third party machinery and if you feel you would benefit from a more integrated approach to controlling your slitter rewinder we can replace the control system.

Installation.
The ComputaCore Laser Core Alignment System has been designed to be very easy to install on almost any slitter and while the majority of our customers use their own engineers to install the system one of our engineers can install the system for you if required.

The laser core alignment kit consists of four main components:

  1. Laser pointer
  2. A linear actuator rail (manufactured to the correct width for your slitter)
  3. A control box with touchscreen
  4. Instruction manual

We do not provide the support arms that hold the laser core alignment system above the slitter rewind shafts, but can fabricate these for you for a small additional cost.

Core sizes.
We are often asked which cores sizes the laser core alignment system is compatible with, and the short answer is ‘all of them’ – because the laser pointer beams a line of light across the rewind shafts it does not matter what diameter your cores are, the line of light will still be in the correct place for your operator to correctly align them.

Conclusion.
Installing a Universal ComputaCore Laser Core Alignment System is simple and will greatly reduce job set up time while increasingly accuracy.