• Plastic Tubes

    Printing systems for plastic tubes in all variations and up to nine colours – extremely fast and versatile.

  • Plastic Tubes

    Printing systems for plastic tubes in all variations and up to nine colours – extremely fast and versatile.

//wifag drive and controls package for Theiler Druck AG, Switzerland

13.06.2013 - Fribourg, Switzerland – 13 June 2013 - To meet stringent quality and performance requirements, Theiler Druck AG (Wollerau, Switzerland) has invested in a pre-owned Wifag OF7 shafted press supplied by GAMAG. This press will be reconfigured, refurbished and reinstalled as a shaftless press with //wifag automation drive and controls. The new printing line will replace the existing Solna single width press.


This new order underlines the competiveness of the two Swiss companies in terms of modernization, modification and retrofitting of web printing presses in the global printing machine market and the ongoing confidence of publishers and printers in //wifag and GAMAG as print solution providers.

The reconfigured press will be able to produce up to a total of 32 pages broadsheet or 64 pages tabloid in full color. Full production is scheduled for September 2013.

Founded in 1895, Theiler Druck AG is an important regional print and publishing company.

//wifag (Fribourg, Switzerland) is a renowned press supplier in the graphic industry with experience in development, engineering, automation, manufacturing and retrofit of printing presses, as well as in international project management and customer service.

GAMAG (Bern, Switzerland) is an important partner in the graphic industry with experience in dismantling, moving and reinstallation, as well as retrofitting of web printing machines of all types and brand names. With innovation and entrepreneurial spirit GAMAG broadened their product and service range. Today, they provide matured, reliable, attractive and cost-effective solutions to small and midsize newspaper printing companies.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Rolf Mani
Head of Automation // Printing Presses
WIFAG Maschinenfabrik AG
Phone +41 26 426 18 88
Direct +41 26 426 16 88
rolf.mani@remove-this.wifag.com

Noel McEvoy
Director of Sales & Marketing // Printing Presses
WIFAG Maschinenfabrik AG
Phone +41 26 426 18 88
Direct +41 26 426 18 11
Mobile +41 79 300 74 26
Noel.McEvoy@remove-this.wifag.com

 

 


Herenco AB, Sweden, chooses //wifag to extend press

06.06.2013 - Freiburg, Switzerland – 6 June 2013 - Following an intensive evaluation phase, Herenco AB in Jonkoping, Sweden, placed a reconfiguration and extension order at //wifag and GAMAG

This new order reinforces the cooperation of the two Swiss companies in terms of the modernization, modification and retrofitting of web printing presses in the global printing machine market.

Herenco AB purchased KBA satellite units from Trykkompagniet AS in Hvidovre, Denmark. These units will be dismantled, refurbished and reinstalled on the existing KBA Express machine located in Jonkoping, Sweden. With this extension of the press 80 tabloid pages can be printed in full colour in straight production (160 pages collect), using two folders. Controls retrofit will be executed by the local DCOS company. The overall project is being coordinated by GCON. The reconfigured press will be in full production at the end of 2013.

Hallpressen, the newspaper division of Herenco AB Group, is one of Sweden’s leading regional newspaper groups and has over 330, 000 readers across southern Sweden on a daily basis, which represents seven out of ten inhabitants in the region.

The order by Herenco AB is already the second one for //wifag and GAMAG that calls for a refurbishment of a KBA press in the Nordic Region. Last year, Finnish Esa Lehtipaino Oy placed a reconfiguration and retrofit order for a KBA Express that will be completely reconfigured and installed in Lahti following a retrofit by GAMAG and //wifag. This printing press is also scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2013.

//wifag (Fribourg, Switzerland) is a renowned press supplier in the graphic industry with experience in development, engineering, automation, manufacturing and retrofit of printing presses, as well as in international project management and customer service.

GAMAG (Bern, Switzerland) is an important partner in the graphic industry with experience in dismantling, moving and reinstallation, as well as retrofitting of web printing machines of all types and brand names. With innovation and entrepreneurial spirit GAMAG broadened their product and service range. Today, they provide matured, reliable, attractive and cost-effective solutions to small and midsize newspaper printing companies.


For further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Noel McEvoy
Director of Sales & Marketing // Printing Presses
WIFAG-Maschinenfabrik AG
Phone +41 26 426 18 88
Direct +41 26 426 18 11
Mobile +41 79 300 74 26
Noel.McEvoy@remove-this.wifag.com

 

 


Press Release Lüscher Technologies Ltd

04.06.2013 - Lüscher Products and Employees with a new owner The Wifag-Polytype Holding Ltd (CH) and the Heliograph Holding Gmbh (D) have jointly taken over all intellectual properties, products, current assets, brand/logos and a part of the employees from the former owners XPose Holding Ltd and Lüscher AG Maschinenbau.


In view of this asset deal, the new company „Lüscher Technologies Ltd“ in Bleienbach (CH) has been founded. Within the next 3 months the whole operation and organisation of the former Lüscher AG will be transferred into new premises in Bleienbach. This will enable the new “Lüscher Technologies Ltd” to take advantage of all kinds of synergies in the area of administration, logistics and operations using the infrastructure and support of Daetwyler Graphics AG (a subsidiary of Heliograph Group).

The new „Lüscher Technologies Ltd“ continues to service and manufacture the former products XPose, MultiDX, XDrum and JetScreen round to support the operation of the installed base for all customers globally.

Sales and Service of all „Lüscher Technologies Ltd“ products will be handled by the sales and service hubs of the Wifag-Polytype Group and the Heliograph Group in their respective market/product application segments. Said this, “Lüscher Technologies Ltd” gets access to two non-competing sales networks of more than 20 sales and service organizations globally (www.wifag-polytype.com and www.heliograph-holding.net ).Together with the integration of existing and potential new distributors „Lüscher Technologies Ltd“ will have an ideal set-up to better serve the different markets and applications in favor of the customers.

„Lüscher Technologies Ltd“ will be managed by Peter Berner (former CTO of Lüscher AG) to ensure continuity and innovation combined with the leverage of operational and logistical potentials of the new owners.

After a long period of uncertainty the employees can now focus on customers and their expectations again and are ready to support the installed base as well as new requests and challenges. Customers will be informed directly about the organization, contact persons and procedures in the next few days.

Questions concerning the owners of “Lüscher Technologies Ltd” are answered by:

- Peter Ruth, CEO Wifag-Polytype Holding AG, peter.ruth@remove-this.polytype.com

For questions concerning products, spare parts, service interventions and general organisation please contact:

- Peter Berner, CEO Lüscher Technologies Ltd, PBerner@remove-this.luescher.com

Background information:

The Wifag-Polytype Group is a globally active group of companies of 1200 employees being active in the manufacturing of production lines and systems for aluminum and steel aerosol containers, beverage bottles and tubes (www.mall-herlan.com), extruded and laminated plastic tubes lines, as well as decorated plastic cups/containers systems (www.polytype.com), coating lines for flexible packaging and technical films/foils (www.polytype.com), newspaper/book printing machines and services (www.wifag.com) and in trading and service business for the graphics industry (www.wifac.nl). With its sales/service and manufacturing network in USA, Brasil, India, Thailand and China/Hongkong our customers are supported globally.

The Heliograph Group of companies with 500 employees worldwide, develops, manufactures and services pre-press equipments and systems for rotogravure, flexo print and embossing and sees itself as leader of the complete manufacturing processes for rotogravure, embossing cylinders and in direct laser engraving technology for elastomeric flexo plates. Flexible packaging, décor and magazine printing are the core markets of the Heliograph Group and are supported by manufacturing sites in Germany, Switzerland, USA and China and 10 sales and service companies in additional 10 countries.


//wifag User Meeting 2013 in Rüsselsheim

23.05.2013 - Fribourg, Switzerland – Two companies, which have been highly successful in mastering extensive change processes, recently co-hosted the //wifag German speaking user meeting 2013: the Swiss printing press manufacturer and one of its biggest customers, Druckzentrum Rhein Main (DRM) in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

//wifag is a business division of the WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG based in Fribourg, Switzerland and is successfully active in the market with a new self-image. The premium supplier of printing technology has transformed itself into a development and automation expert.

About 40 senior employees from German //wifag user plants as well as from Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland obtained an exclusive insight at the user meeting into new developments from Fribourg and //wifag newspaper technology of tomorrow as well as retrofit possibilities and press repurposing solutions.

Participants welcomed the words of //wifag CEO Jörgen Karlsson in particular. His main message to customers and users had to do with certainty, the certainty that an economically successful supplier has potential in the newly restructured WIFAG-Polytype Holding AG for intensive research and development.

Jörgen Karlsson: "Today //wifag is very, very stable, not just when you look at its financial statements but also because our business model works." This model also features contracts involving retrofits and upgrades. Within this group of companies, //wifag is the frontrunner, especially in automation. The developers for newspaper printing machine technology derive the financial base they need from the fact that other business areas profit from innovations in web monitoring, for example.

A substantial part of the German speaking user meeting 2013 was devoted to insights into the Rhein Main printing center. For two and a half years, this facility has been operating a //wifag evolution 473/6, a six-plate wide web printing press in nine cylinder satellite design with a total of eight printing towers, eight reel stands and five folders. Every day, the four 48-page machine sections print about 300,000 daily newspapers of Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main (VRM) and Medienhaus Südhessen (MHS) in 31 different editions. In addition, this press handles numerous weeklies and church newspapers with runs amounting to about 1.5 million copies per week. The 160 employees in the new printing center use a grand total of about 25,000 tons of paper every year.


Polytype America and Integra Technologies announce Service Partnership

05.04.2013 - April 4, 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada – Polytype America Corporation and Integra Technologies International Inc. are proud to announce a service partnership supporting PAC’s Digital Imaging Division as our primary service partner in the United States and Canada.

The program is designed to coincide with Polytype America’s sales growth in the U.S. and Canada over the past 14 months. Due to the high volume of machine placements, the partnership will assist our existing service organization with installation assistance and field service calls.

“Polytype America is proud to call Integra Technologies International our Service Partner” states Peter Andrich, President –Polytype America, “Integra completes our coverage of the U.S. and Canada for all of our installation and service needs for our swissQprint line of Flatbed UV printers. We look forward to a long lasting partnership as we continue to expand our market and placements of the swissQprint line of products.”

“Integra Technologies International Inc. is an essential partner for Polytype America at this critical stage in their sales development with the swissQprint line of Flatbed UV printers”, states Ron Skaggs, President – Integra Technologies International Inc. “With our Nationwide coverage and staff of expert technicians, our partnership with Polytype America will solidify their North American installation and service coverage and help both companies enhance their future growth in the Digital Imaging market.”

 

About Polytype America

Polytype America Corp. (PAC) sells and services Polytype's Virtu UV 3‐in‐1 UV printers throughout North America. The Virtu printers are Swiss designed and manufactured in Polytype's Fribourg, Switzerland factory. Virtu Abacus 25 and Abacus 35 UV printers offer a unique 3‐in‐1 combination design: True flatbed, hybrid belt and heavy duty roll‐to‐roll operation.

 

About Integra Technologies International Inc. 

Integra Technologies International services and repairs digital imaging equipment and cutters. In addition, Integra sells and distributes the Aristo precision cutters in the United States. Service is our focus, not an afterthought.

If you're a commercial print shop, signage or digital graphic printer, or photofinishing lab, Integra has offices near Austin, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Toronto, plus Field Service Engineers stationed all across the US and Canada.


Polytype and Mechatronica collaborating on the packaging market

20.04.2012 - April 20, 2012, - Polytype AG in Switzerland (a company of the wifag//polytype group) and Mechatronica Co in Bulgaria have entered into a close partnership to mutually develop and market packaging machinery for the oral care, cosmetic and beverage market.

Polytype AG in Switzerland (a company of the Wifag//Polytype group) and Mechatronica Co in Bulgaria have entered into a close partnership to mutually develop and market packaging machinery for the oral care, cosmetic and beverage market. For this purpose Polytype has acquired 49% of Mechatronica shares.

Mechatronica, located in Gabrovo (Bulgaria) has developed best price-performance packaging machinery for laminated plastic tubes, form-fill-and-seal equipment for semi-liquid and liquid cosmetics and beverages as well as specialty forming equipment for metal containers over the last 15 years.

Polytype is a leader in the decoration and finishing of extruded plastic tubes for the cosmetic market. With this partnership Polytype will get access to the growing market of laminated tubes and is complementing its portfolio for the oral care and cosmetic market. The form-fill-and seal concept for plastic tubes allows new production approaches for latest stage customization and reduced inventory and logistic cost for the oral care and cosmetic packaging market for semi-liquid goods. The sales and service organization in USA, China, Thailand, Brazil and India of Polytype can improve the market coverage for the Mechatronica products and increase the sales channel efficiency of Polytype. With the low cost basis of Mechatronica and the Polytype reputation both companies can leverage their respective strengths to participate better in the fast growing market for extruded as well as laminated tubes.

A similar form-fill-and-seal concept has been introduced by Mechatronica to the beverage market for non carbonated juices packaged in cylindrical pouches and is complementing the Polytype packaging solutions for the beverage market. Polytype offers decoration concepts for low cost plastic drinking cups as well as highly sophisticated metal bottles in aluminum or steel under the brand of Mall&Herlan.

Untapped potentials exist in a special forming technology of Mechatronica, which allows new kinds of shaping of metal containers, typically recognized as “cola bottle ripples type shapes”. This technology could enlarge the leading position for the metal container offering to existing and new Mall&Herlan customers in the beverage industry.

Polytype and Mechatronica will remain active under their respective company and product brands and continue to act as separate companies but jointly on the market. An exclusive dealer agreement for India has been already signed before closing this partnership between Mechatronica and wifag//polytype Marketing India Ptv, other distribution agreements between the Polytype Group companies and Mechatronica will be implemented in the near future.

Mr. Alain Berset, Business Unit Leader of the Plastic Packaging Division in the wifag//polytype Group (www.wifag-polytype.com) and Mr. Miroslav Hinkov, founder and owner of Mechatronica (www.kombis.net) will be the main contacts for any kind of questions regarding this strategic cooperation.