It’s 20 years since BOBST launched its POWER REGISTER® system to the packaging market. The ‘no contact’ sheet feeding system was an industry-first and remains at the leading edge in its capabilities today. Designed to enable accurate positioning of printed sheets before being die-cut, it was an integral part of the Sprintera 106 PER that delivered excellent cut-to-print register for the highest product quality.
By reducing setting times and eliminating feed related stops, Power Register was developed to significantly boost productivity and throughput for customers. Its original features, including lateral correction of the pile, lateral and longitudinal correction of processed sheets for registration, double sheet sensing and automatic synchronisation of the sheet arrival, have been continually innovated and new technologies incorporated into the system over the past two decades.
Bodo Junge, Product Marketing Director Folding Carton at Bobst said, “Our commitment to customers has always been to support them in achieving operational excellence in terms of productivity, efficiency and waste reduction. Bobst was ahead of the curve when we first launched Power Register 20 years ago and to this day, thanks to that commitment, it remains an technology that provides our customers with outstanding competitive advantage.”
When Power Register II was launched in 2012, not only did it have an easier set-up program, it was able to handle a wider variety of substrates, including transparent, black, metalised or varnished. It also offered greater flexibility in job layouts by allowing sheets to be registered using the sheet edge, specially printed front and side marks, or the print itself.
Its innovative bottom print registration feature enables operators to convert litho-laminated microflute jobs with superb quality and accuracy. Creasing sheets from the reverse not only improves the blank itself but also assists downstream processing, such as folding and gluing, for greater line efficiency.
In 2016, Bobst unveiled its third generation Power Register on the Mastercut 106 PER flatbed die-cutter. With greater automation and the ability to handle all materials at full speed perfectly, it delivers excellent accuracy and performance. This latest version has a 65% larger correction range at the front edge of the sheet, reducing production stops by 80%, and guarantees 100% no-sheet-edge contact.
All Power Register systems are today equipped with the auto teach-in function that automatically calibrates its cameras according to the print on the sheet, eliminating possible human errors and enabling faster set-up while making job changeover easier for the operator. Like its predecessor, it has the optional bottom reading feature for improved litho-lamination sheet processing.
Power Register is available on a range of BOBST die-cutters, including Mastercut 106/145 PER, Eexpertcut 106/145 PER and Visioncut 106 PE/145 PER, as well as the hot foil stamper, Masterfoil 106 PR.
Junge concluded, “Bringing value to production lines around the world, Power Register has continued to be an innovation highlight for Bobst and retains its industry game-changer status. A sophisticated and intelligent system, it gives operators quality and precision at highest performance levels.”
