Interview with Simone Bonaria (COO of BFT Group) and Alberto Ferrara (CTO of BFT CARBON and BFT FLEXO) at SuperCorrExpo 2024.
BFT Group, founded in 2017, is a global leader in automation of inking and wash-up solutions. The company operates in over 40 countries with more than 16 distributors and 10 subsidiaries. With its divisions BFT FLEXO and BFT CARBON, the company provides innovative solutions for the printing industry, enhancing productivity and efficiency through cutting-edge technology.
At SuperCorr, we’re introducing our new INK600 ink consumption system. Its operation is incredibly simple yet highly precise: we pump air from our sensor into a metal pipe placed inside the ink bucket. Since we know the pipe’s diameter, we can accurately measure the pressure inside.
Our sensor not only detects the ink level but also tracks changes in ink level over time. For example, if your press is running, the INK600 device reads the level change over 2 minutes, enabling it to calculate ink consumption per box printed.
BFT CARBON is a division of BFT Group that develops cutting-edge carbon fiber products for the printing industry. These products include doctor blade units made from carbon fiber, which offer superior durability and ease of maintenance compared to traditional aluminum unit.
In the past, some suppliers tried using a scale, but it was problematic, causing errors and other issues when adding ink. Our system, however, is designed to be “operator-proof,” meaning operators don’t need to worry about electronic sensors near water or ink.
Our electronic cabinet is placed away from the bucket; we pump air into the pipe and can use up to 5 meters of plastic tubing before reaching the metal pipe inside the bucket.
BFT FLEXO is another division of BFT Group, specializing in flexographic printing systems. BFT FLEXO provides automated inking and washing systems that help reduce ink and water consumption, streamline the printing process, and enhance overall productivity.
Additionally, we have new viscosity control. With this control, we can track viscosity, temperature, and pH on the touchscreen for all units of the press. The system automatically controls viscosity, reads and controls temperature, and reads and controls pH.
How do you control the temperature?
We have a chilled line with a heat exchanger. We can use an internal chiller of your machine if you have one, or we supply an external chiller and manage the entire line.
The benefit of this system is that we can keep the control stable. We control the temperature. You don’t have to worry about it.
That’s my next question. How do you manage the pH? Please explain that because, you know, pH probes are a mess every time.
If you put the pH probe into the ink, it dead in six months. What do we want to do? We have a dosing station and we control the pH of the water in the viscometer. The water with the right pH is slightly higher to avoid people putting water from the line and dropping the pH.
About inking and wash-up systems, we introduced the new GT CORR at this exhibition. The GT CORR is an entry-level wash-up system for the corrugated market, equipped with two double-diaphragm pumps and a BFT manifold. This is the core of the system: a stainless steel block with seven valves that manage all inking cycles and all wash-up and recovery functions. Everything is controlled from PLC with 4” HMI, making it very easy to use.
We’re performing numerous retrofits with this system because it’s easy to install on all types of presses. It has three main functions: inking, wash-up, and recovery. Operators can adjust the pump speed digitally from the display and control the entire process with just one click.
Why did we design it without a peristaltic pump? At BFT, we offer a complete range of inking systems with various pump configurations. However, for the corrugated market, we developed a system that delivers excellent performance while keeping costs low.
Keep in mind that 70% of presses in operation lack an automatic wash-up system, so the GT CORR is designed to be an ideal entry-level tool for introducing new technology to these presses.
Alberto Ferrara (Chief Technology Officer of BFT CARBON and BFT FLEXO).
We are here to show our products for the corrugated market. This exhibition was a great success because we met only interested, high-level people for technical meetings. We love this kind of exhibition.
At this exhibition, we introduced our new 300 Single Blade Chamber, a fully carbon fiber chamber, along with our new GT Core inking and wash-up system specifically designed for the corrugated market.
These two products are quite new, but we already have several installations across the US and Europe.
Simone Bonaria (COO of BFT Group)
At BFT Group, our goal is the continuous development of new products that can standardize the printing process and control all variables, including temperature, pH, ink viscosity, as well as metering pressure, air humidity, and more.
Sometimes, introducing these concepts to the market can be challenging, but once the true benefits are understood, adoption becomes much easier.
Thank you so much and keep in touch.
Thank you!
Reporting from Orlando by Igor Tkalenko – corruga.expert
