Developed at the Goss Contiweb facility in the Netherlands, renowned for the supply of splicers and dryers to the world’s premier web offset printers for almost 40 years, the new product lines have been designed to equal the Contiweb signature splice performance of 99.7 percent for digital webs.

Bert Schoonderbeek, managing director at Goss Contiweb says the development recognizes the growth and potential in digital web printing. “After many years refining and perfecting product design to ensure efficiency and repeatable high quality for web offset printers, we’re now seeing a similar need within the digital web community,” he comments. “The increasing variety of installations and applications is creating a relentless demand from print service providers for technologies that advance their competitive edge. The ability to master web tension and to continually improve productivity is rapidly becoming critical to success.”

Available in two web widths 770 mm (30”) and 1100 mm (42”), the ‘CD’ range of splicer/unwinders and the ‘CR’ range of rewinders share features that facilitate simple set-up, integration and day-to-day operation. These include floor-level loading and unloading of paper reels; unwinding/rewinding in either direction; as well as motorized reel side-lay adjustment; all of which can be monitored throughout via an HMI screen on the unit.

Each model is shaftless and uses pneumatically expanding core chucks driven by low-noise electric motors, which provides an added element of sustainability since energy generated feeds back into the electrical circuit.

The Goss Contiweb CD Series of unwinder/splicers

Drawing on Contiweb’s 40 years’ experience in web tension technology, the ‘CD’ series has been engineered to ensure accuracy and repeatability at every stage of the digital web infeed process,regardless of operator experience or familiarity with web-fed production.

• CD-W unwinder with manual, stationary splicing
• CD-S Stop/Go double unwinder with semi-automatic splice – allows the operator to unload, load and prepare for splicing while production is underway; facilitates a minimum stoppage cycle time per splice.
• CD-N fully automatic splicer with non-stop reel changeover – uses renowned Contiweb ‘zero-speed’ festoon technology to splice running web and new reel while press continues at full speed.

The models come with a range of options including additional levels of infeed control, web guidance, remote operation through the central control system, and remote diagnosis via VPN.

The Goss Contiweb CR Series of rewinders

All models in the Contiweb Digital Series of rewinders have been developed specifically to rewind reels at speed without the loss of any printed copies. Transfer may be between reels of different width and paper thickness, and repeated transfers from first to second position, and vice versa, are also possible.

• CR-W single rewinder – reel change and web transfer to the new core is manual while the press remains stationary
• CR-S Stop/Go double rewinder with semi-automatic web transfer – allows unloading and preparation of cores during ongoing production; facilitates a minimum stoppage time for reel change and web transfer to the new core
• CR-N Non-stop unwinder with automatic reel changeover – unloading of fully wound reels and preparation of cores is possible during production; automatic splice can be made at full press speed, at any reel diameter

The three versions can also be fitted with a slitter, and are available with optional extras such as integrated electronic web tension control at outfeed, web guides, central console operability and remote diagnostics.

“Whether the customer is new to web-fed print production or an old hand, we feel very confident that with the CD and CR product lines we are equipping digital print providers with the very best technology to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency from their system,” concludes Schoonderbeek. “As the top production speeds achievable from digital web presses continue to rise, these capabilities will be of ever-increasing significance to the whole viability of the print operation.”

Aside from the digital web sector, the adaptable and modular design of the Contiweb Digital Series also expands potential for labels and packaging applications. This is particularly in the case of customized Goss Vpak web offset press configurations incorporating a range of processes and ancillaries – such as flexo, gravure and digital stations, UV and EB drying – which would benefit from a higher level of tension control throughout the web path.