High speed bi-directional laser cutting and creasing of fast moving carton-board for packaging

Objective

European SME packaging producers (around 6000 in EU) are under a continuous pressure of often-powerful (multinational) clients to meet constant changes in packaging designs and features. Current process equipment (rotary and punch tools) have limitations due to long delivery times of tools for design changes (e.g. 4 months for rotary tools) and high costs (50.000 Euro per design change) all leading to extremely low flexibility. The objective of the Hi-SLIDE project is to develop new laser-based process equipment for fully automated in-line cutting and creasing (a fundamentally new approach in the total processing system of packaging). Goal is to obtain complete freedom of (intermediate) design changes and to ban completely the problem of wear of the cutting tools. These innovations will result in radical improvements in flexibility, reduced time to market (50-80%), cost reduction (70%), high speed (300 metres/minute), accuracy (100% repetitively) and waste reduction (50%).

Fields of science

• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › laser physics

Programme(s)

• FP5-GROWTH - Programme for research technological development and demonstration on "Competitive and sustainable growth 1998-2002"

Topic(s)

• 1.1.3.-1. - Key Action Innovative Products, Processes and Organisation

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

EAW - Exploratory awards

Coordinator

MADERN GRAVEERINDUSTRIE EN GEREEDSCHAPPENFABRIEK B.V.

Address

Vikingbank 1
3133 KX Vlaardingen
Netherlands

Participants (1)

PROLAS PRODUKTIONSLASER GMBH

Germany

Address

Steinbachstrasse 15
52074 Aachen