Eight major upgrades to the gravure press make solving paper, ink, and other issues this easy!
Systematic Breakthroughs in Equipment Upgrades
Traditional gravure printing machines face multiple challenges in cigarette pack printing, such as paper stability, ink control, and safety protection. Problem-oriented, focusing on the four dimensions of "quality, efficiency, safety, and environmental protection," eight core upgrades were implemented on cigarette pack gravure printing machines, establishing a technical upgrade system covering the entire printing process.
01/ Paper Pretreatment
To address the common issue of uneven flatness at the beginning and end of paper rolls, an automatic roll flattening control system was installed before the paper tension stage, as shown in Figure 1, forming a closed-loop control to replace manual adjustments. This system links the flattening servo motor with an ultrasonic sensor for roll diameter, allowing flattening parameters to be precisely set within a 0~30 range. While ensuring stable tension, it achieves full-width flat paper feeding. After the upgrade, the rate of paper coil deformation after cutting decreased by 80%, laying a foundation for high-precision registration in post-printing processes.
Figure 1 Automatic Flattening Control System
02/ Doctor Blade Pressure Control
Upgraded the doctor blade pressure control from the rough 'mechanical/air pressure' adjustment to a dual-cylinder pressure regulator for precise control, keeping the blade pressure within 0.7~1 bar. This improvement reduces printing faults like blade lines by over 30%, and with more uniform pressure, the service life of the Taishan Red General Gold Sand ink doctor blade is extended by over 40%, reducing machine downtime for blade replacement and significantly cutting paper waste and blade material costs.
03/ Ink Fountain Temperature Control
Developed a cooling device for the printer ink fountain, as shown in Figure 2. It uses a threaded coil sealed structure linked with a process water refrigeration system to precisely control the ink temperature at 26℃±2℃. This device effectively addresses issues caused by high ink temperature (especially in summer), such as frequent plate clogging, blotches, and dragging. Printing operation becomes much easier, and especially in high screen printing (over 175 lines per inch) on cigarette packs, combined with electrostatic ink transfer, it achieves 100% dot reproduction rate for 3% halftone dots.
Figure 2 Ink Groove Cooling Device
04/ Anti-Splash Ink Technology
To tackle the common industry issue of ink splashing during high-speed printing on cigarette pack gravure presses, a high-speed anti-splash ink device with a clutch-type printing plate roller was developed, as shown in Figure 3. Through the combined action of a pneumatic clutch and the cleaning and sealing structure on the plate end face, the control console manages everything centrally. It completely prevents ink splashing at a printing speed of 200 meters per minute and automatically disengages when the machine stops. This device not only ensures the product's appearance quality but also makes operation more convenient, solves the cleaning problem caused by ink contamination on the equipment, and improves the 6S management level on the production floor.
Figure 3 High-speed anti-splatter inking device with printing plate roller clutch
05/ Automatic Cleaning Device for Gravure Printing Doctor Blades
Developed an automatic doctor blade cleaning device and control system, as shown in Figure 4. It integrates scanning detection with intelligent control. The scanning head recognizes the position of the splicing tape on the paper roll and accurately calculates the time for the joint to reach the impression point, triggering the automatic blade cleaning device in sync. This device supports dual-mode control from the console, "manual/automatic," cutting the cleaning time per shift by 70%, eliminating the safety risk of operators coming into close contact with fast-moving parts, and preventing waste losses caused by untimely manual operation. This project is a first both domestically and internationally.
Figure 4 Automatic Doctor Blade Tip Cleaning Device and Control System
06/ Process Integration
Integrate a connected embossing device within the printing press so that printing and embossing processes are completed simultaneously, shortening the production cycle by 25% and reducing product waste.
07/ Plate Changing Efficiency
By combining a rail-type hoisting frame with an electric lifting mechanism, an intaglio plate changing device was developed, as shown in Figure 5. It changes the traditional manual plate lifting (which requires 2–3 people) into a single-person operation. The plate cylinder can be installed and adjusted outside the machine in advance, doubling plate changing efficiency while cutting labor by half, significantly reducing labor costs and improving efficiency.
Figure 5 Gravure Plate Changing Device
08/ Safety Protection
To address fire risks caused by static accumulation in the gravure workshop, a three-level prevention and control system was established.
(1) Environmental Control: The workshop humidifiers maintain humidity at 53%±3%. To ensure stable operation, the humidifiers now recycle condensate generated from the gravure press steam heating instead of using tap water, solving clogging issues from high-pressure nozzles and saving nearly a thousand tons of water annually. Central air supply in the production area is also adjusted so that the workspace is under slight negative pressure.
(2) Equipment Setup: The inlet and outlet of the printing press ovens are maintained under slight negative pressure to reduce combustible gas concentration around the ink trough. Exhaust from the ovens is routed to RTO equipment for combustion treatment.
(3) Intelligent Control: An electrostatic roller logic of 'power on at fixed speed + delayed discharge' is designed. When the machine stops normally or triggers an emergency stop, the high-voltage electrostatic system shuts down first, and the roller discharges after a 3-second delay, completely preventing arcing at tens of thousands of volts instantly, eliminating the risk of static fire. Since its implementation, no static-related safety incidents have occurred.
Results of the Transformation
The eight major transformation measures work synergistically, driving a qualitative leap in equipment performance.
01/ Quality
Product defect rate dropped from 3% to 1.5%, with a 60% reduction in defects like uneven ink, dry plates, knife marks, and tails. The inspection pass rate for cigarette packs rose to over 98% on the first attempt.
02/ Efficiency
Production capacity increased by 26%, and auxiliary times like plate changing and machine adjustments were cut by 50%. Equipment continuity improved noticeably, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) rose from 60% to 78%.
03/ Safety
High-risk operational positions decreased by three, with zero static fire risks.
04/ Intellectual Property
A total of 5 invention patents and 6 utility model patents were filed, forming an innovation loop from 'equipment transformation → patent deployment → technology output.'
These achievements have been highly recognized by the equipment manufacturer Shaanxi Beiren, and the related technologies have been promoted in companies under Shandong Tobacco, setting a benchmark for intelligent upgrades of domestic gravure equipment.
Future Prospects
Facing the 'dual-carbon' goals and the trend of green packaging, the company will use cigarette pack gravure presses as a platform to focus on three innovation directions.
(1) Green Printing Process Integration: Explore the adaptability of eco-friendly materials like water-based inks with existing equipment to drive green and low-carbon transformation in cigarette pack printing.
(2) Digital Upgrades: Build a real-time monitoring system for equipment status and product quality to enable predictive maintenance and traceable quality control.
(3) Collaborative Innovation: Work with equipment manufacturers and material suppliers on integrated solutions of 'equipment–process–materials' to help the gravure industry achieve high-quality development.
Over more than a decade of equipment transformation practice, domestic gravure equipment has proven to have strong potential for technological iteration. We are willing to work with industry peers to continue innovating to solve common challenges and contribute to upgrading domestic printing equipment from 'usable' to 'better and smarter.'