“There was never a question as to whether we were or were not going to exhibit at SuperCorrExpo,” states Warren Bird, President, JB Machinery. “We were prepared in 2020 and determined to be there for the rescheduled 2021 tradeshow. The postponement of the event delayed the “official” introduction of our two newest products but didn’t dampen our enthusiasm to present them to the industry.”
AutoWash automatic printing plate washing device for flexographic direct print on corrugated paperboard
At SuperCorrExpo JB formally introduced their AutoWash™ automatic plate washing system and DigiFlex™ high-speed variable imager to the corrugated industry. AutoWash eliminates manual washing by automating the plate washing process and allowing converters to simultaneously clean all plates, regardless of the number of print stations, in less than four minutes. “That’s less time than it typically takes one crew member to clean one plate manually, and you have all plates clean, dry and ready for the next run,” says Bird. “It significantly increases uptime on the typical operation. Operations that focus on short orders can see a tremendous increase in uptime.”
In addition to full pre and post print wash cycles, AutoWash features an “in production” print defect removal cycle that removes hickies and impurities from printing plates in 1.5 seconds, without interrupting the production process.
The easy to use, hands-free, automatic system uses an environmentally friendly water-based cleaning solution and dual action deep cleaning cycle, consisting of rotation and pulsation, to quickly and gently render the plates clean and free of ink, dust and debris. A high velocity air-knife completes the process by quickly drying the plates.
“JB Machinery is elated to have our AutoWash selected as the Innovator of the Year at SuperCorrExpo 2021, and to also have our DigiFlex selected as third place,” says JB Sales Director, Dave Burgess. “To be recognized by our industry peers for our ongoing investment in technology and innovations is certainly an honor shared by the entire JB Machinery team.”
“With brand owners looking to maximize their packaging and unboxing experience, and retain overall consumer loyalty, especially in the ever-expanding ecommerce market, every side of the box has become a venue for information and marketing. DigiFlex adds this “extra-color” capability to an operation and gives them the opportunity to print on both sides of the blank if necessary.”
DigiFlex, is an innovative high-speed, inline, variable data printing system that brings value-added printing capabilities to virtually any flexo folder-gluer, rotary or platen diecutter, specialty folder-gluer or anywhere space will allow the top printing device to be installed. For extra versatility, the portable print engine design allows the system to be transferred between machine lines that meet the operating requirements.
DigiFlex high-speed variable imager
An integrated drag and drop graphic WYSIWYG editor allows operators to easily load, create and/or edit graphics and set up jobs. The system supports TIFF and PDF graphic formats, CSV files for variable data printing and over 50 barcode standards including code 128 and 93.
“It means so much to us to be selected for this award by our peers on both the converting and machinery manufacturer sides,” says John Bird, CEO of JB Machinery. “We thank everyone who voted for our products and stopped by to visit with us at SuperCorrExpo.
The JB team would also like to offer our congratulations to all the finalist in this years Innovator competition and thank AICC, Board Converting News and Corrugated Today for sponsoring the competition.”