Initially Response was approached by one of it's sister companies to provide two control systems for Side Register control on 7 and 9 colour Gravure Printing Presses for the Fuji seal group of companies. Our engineers visited site to make a detailed report of exactly what was required taking into consideration both the mechanical and electrical requirements. Detailed drawings were made of all components and where the work could not be carried out in house DXF files were sent to our suppliers. All components were sourced or manufactured to the ATEX directive and despatched to site on schedule. Our engineers arrived and carried out the full installation and commissioning in the four days allocated for each press on time and on budget.

Following the success of this project Fuji approached Response with another project, upgrading their 9 colour press electronic drive system. The main reason for this exercise was because the press manufactures had gone into receivership some years ago and parts were impossible to obtain. Also the DC drives and motors were outdated and spares no longer available. Once again our engineers visited site and a detailed specification was drawn up with Fuji to establish exactly what they required.

Their brief was as follows:

• Reduce electrical power consumption?
• Increase production speed?
• Reduce electrical maintenance?
• Gather production running data from the Press?
• Conform to the ATEX Directive
• Needs to be a Turnkey project

We proposed the following:

• Energy efficient AC system using press generated electricity to power itself.
• Production speed increase of 100%
• Touch Screens for ease of Operator control
• Auto flying splice at both unwind and rewind
• Automatic heater on /off and temperature control
• Automatic sequential load of impressions
• Automatic press speed resume
• Automatic pre press registration minimising ink and web wastage
• Machine monitoring data highway (can be linked to factory Host computer)
• Computer link to our office for remote diagnostics
• Designed and built to the latest ATEX directive

Once again detailed drawings were produced for all Electrical and Mechanical components and all parts manufactured and sourced. Patterns were made for castings and machined in our workshop. Software was written for the PLC's and Touch screens and control cabinets built at our units. All parts were shipped to site on time for a Christmas shutdown. Response had just fourteen days to remove and replace all existing parts and control cabinets.

Installation and commissioning was also carried out within this time envelope on time and on budget. As with all our projects a detailed documentation pack was supplied including, a set of drawings, software on disc, manuals and ATEX certificates.

The above projects have converted our customers existing Printing Presses from relatively slow running high maintenance machines to highly competitive state of the art presses. The package offers all the advantages of a new press for a fraction of the cost, making it very commercially, attractive.

We have recently quoted to manufacture shaftless units which can be fitted to existing presses to extend the printing capability, without the huge investment of a New Press.

If you would like to benefit from this up to date technology package then please give us a call on 01524 771269 or email
enquiries@response-drives.co.uk