Bobst has opened a new facility that is designed to enable converters and brand owners to carry out production tests and coating technology comparisons, certifying the results on site and calculating the costs related to each test from real production data.

More than 120 participants from different segments of the worldwide coating industry attended the event that marked the inauguration of Bobst coating excellence line and technology center. The facility, which includes a fully equipped laboratory, is a newly-built extension of Bobst Italia’s Competence Center that also houses gravure printing and laminating machines in San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy.

The event spotlighted Bobst's capabilities and commitment in this specialized sector of the converting industry, while also offering visitors an overview of the current market trends and future developments. 

“The name we have chosen for the coating line – Leonardo – tells it all," explains Detlef Merklinger, head of the coating product line at Bobst and managing director of Bobst Italia. “Just like Da Vinci is the ultimate polymath, our Leonardo delivers expertise and process excellence in all the different segments and countless end–use sectors and niche applications of the coating market."

The clear-on-clear label technology demonstration showed the coating of a liner of a siliconized 23 μm PET substrate with a water-based permanent pressure sensitive adhesive using a trolley with a pressurized chamber doctor blade. The coating speed is 300 m/m, which includes drying by floatation technology. The trolley has been developed for a wider coating weight range and minimizes the sheer stress that can affect performance with this type of application. The 20 μm BOPP substrate had been pre-printed in reverse with NC-PU inks at a speed of 500 m/m on a Bobst Master RS 6003 gravure printing press.

“We have been successful in rising to the challenges of diverse sectors of the flexible packaging, consumer goods and industrial products coating industry," says Merklinger. “As the market evolves, we continue to add dedicated technical developments and extend our reach in the different end use segments of the industry. The coating excellence line and the dedicated technology center embody our commitment to the development of innovative coating technologies for future demands."

To round up the overview on market trends, Alexandre Pinsolle, R&D manager of Gascogne Packaging Division and the event’s keynote speaker, gave an interesting outlook on the market trends and the future of packaging and industry recycling targets and circular economy, with a special focus on specialty/barrier paper solutions for food packaging.

“This event has illustrated the direction in which Bobst foresees the market move in the medium term, and how Bobst investments are moving as a consequence; a very interesting experience,” comments Rossano Lambertini, business development manager of the SIT Group SpA.

“Sixty years of constant developments, attention to market needs and partnership with customers have established Bobst as a leading supplier of coating solutions. The potential ahead is compelling but so are the challenges in a specialized market that addresses the requirements of industries as diverse as packaging, medicine, security, electronic, energy and more,” says Merklinger. “But we are in unique position to continue building on the momentum behind our growth in recent years. The availability of the coating excellence line, dedicated infrastructure and resources places us a step ahead to extend our hold in the global market, and with us, our brand owner and converting clients."