Heidelberg USA Signs Agreement with AN Corporation

Heidelberg USA, Inc. has reached an agreement with AN Corporation of Japan (ANC Machinery) to represent its range of Kawahara blank separator equipment in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. ANC Machinery is the export division of Kawahara and is responsible for worldwide distribution outside of Japan. The Kawahara blank separators complement the Heidelberg-Masterwork range of die cutters by offering automated solutions for separating die cut blanks from a printed sheet.

Kawahara Packaging, based in Nagoya, Japan, created the TXR series of offline blanking units in 1992. For the last 30 years, folding carton and in-mold label (IML) manufacturers around the world have installed the TXR-1100 to boost converting productivity. The new agreement enables ANC Machinery to leverage Heidelberg’s expertise and sales and service coverage in the folding carton and IML markets. According to Gary Compton, Sales Director for ANC Machinery based in the UK, “We’re excited to partner with Heidelberg – their knowledge and strong relationships within our strategic industry segments will be invaluable as we seek to grow our market share in North America.”

For Heidelberg, in today’s market where increasing levels of automation are in constant demand, the Kawahara blanking equipment will help bring increased efficiency to its Easymatrix and Promatrix die cutter customers. “We look forward to working together with our customers to see how the addition of Kawahara products can help them achieve new levels of productivity,” said Felix Mueller, President of Heidelberg North America.

Introduced in 2021, the new Kawahara TXS-1100 features upgraded components and a new style feeder and unloader; it is very well suited to the in-mold label market and has proven to be a good solution for this notoriously difficult material. Also widely used in the folding carton market, the TXS-1100 is perfectly designed for customers with shorter runs and press sheets with mixed layouts. Such layouts bring efficiency to the printing process but present challenges in finishing due to the cost of blanking tooling for die cutters (single use) or excessive manual labor. The TXS-1100 automates this process – increasing throughput and quality with the ability to blank almost any sheet layout design.

Recognizing the need for an entry level solution for the folding carton and plastic packaging industries, Kawahara introduced the BMS-1100 in 2021. The BMS-1100 features two blanking heads for two different shapes or for a nested layout. The makeready time is less than 15 minutes and up to 300 layouts can be stored for faster set-up of repeat jobs; its ergonomic design and compact footprint make the BMS-1100 an efficient, one man, converting cell. “As Heidelberg continues to grow in the packaging market,” said Mueller, “the BMS-1100 will help our customers automate their die cutting process. Even as their volumes grow and they decide to invest in a die cutter with blanking capability, the BMS-1100 will continue to support their shorter run or single run combination production.”

Critically, both the TXS and BMS machines are built to the highest standards of electrical and mechanical safety with CE/UL/CSA levels of compliance. All electrical components are tri-rated, and latest technology Omron parts are used throughout, which include PLC, HMI and servo drives. All machines have a remote diagnostic capability and are MIS-compatible.

Source: Heidelberg