Diana X 115: The Quick-change Artist

A unique packaging design delights consumers but brings sweat to the brow of packaging specialists. After all, they are the ones who have to produce these complex designs economically. To make this an effortless task, Heidelberg has once again increased the quality and performance, and above all else the user-friendliness of the folder gluer Diana X 115 significantly. Product Manager, Frank Jansen, unveils the most important technical innovations in detail.

Mr Jansen, you and your colleagues started off with the aim of making the Diana X 115 as user-friendly as possible. What inspired you to do this?
Jansen: Many packaging manufacturers have to produce both short runs of high-quality cartons as well as long runs of standard cartons economically. The Diana X 115 already covers the whole range in terms of quality and performance - from the smallest format with open width of 1.8 inches (45 millimeters) up to 45.3 inches (1,150 millimeters). Short makeready times mean high productivity with a Diana machine. From our point of view it was extremely important to develop a machine that achieved a high level of user-friendliness as well as shorter makeready times using technical innovations.

What concrete steps did you take?
Jansen: We opted for an open frame design and lowered the wall racks at the important positions. In addition, we decided against fixed safety doors and installed flexible light grids instead. The light grids are only active when collapsible cartons are being processed. Thanks to these changes, the operator has easy access to the machine enabling him to carry out adjustments or installations faster and more comfortably. In addition, the folding frames, to which the upper mid-section carrier is secured, can easily be lowered or raised on the Diana X 115 at the operating side by one person.

What is the concept behind the new roller bars?
Jansen: They are now telescopic. They can be telescoped together and extended or moved progressively in the machine's direction of travel, for example if a gap is needed for an additional cross fold or to install equipment for padded envelopes in the folding unit. The process to change a left-before-right fold to a right-before-left fold is much quicker. The machine can be reset easily for different types of cartons with the help of the new roller bar. At the same time, the new roller bars enable the safe carriage of small cartons with lengths of 2.2 inches (55 millimeters).

What else did you do to reduce makeready times?
Jansen: The lower left transportation system in the prefolder is now divided into a front and rear section. This has the advantage that the front section can be used to carry out the adhesive tab prefold exactly where it belongs, namely at the first scoring line. At the same time, this leaves the rear section free to be positioned, allowing the carton to be guided securely during the prefold of the third scoring line. An additional fold or belt prefold with a folding belt is also possible.

How can the transportation systems make work faster and more flexible?
Jansen: Because the transportation systems can be positioned independently of one another. The Diana X 115 has three lower and five upper transportation systems in the lockbottom module. The collapsible carton module, in which both lockbottom as well as collapsible cartons can be processed, can be equipped with six upper and lower transportation systems. Together with the prefolder and the new roller bar, this provides the user with the necessary flexibility to process a wide range of cartons. Furthermore the machine can also be reset rapidly for complicated folds such as Z or double-Z folds. And thanks to the optional right and left belt folding in the collapsible carton module, the range of cartons that can be produced has increased even further.

Where is belt folding still used and what is the advantage?
Jansen: A continuous belt folds the carton without leaving marks even at high speeds. The latest innovation in the Diana X 115 is that both the prefolder as well as the collapsible and lockbottom carton modules can be equipped with a belt folding system on the operating and drive side. And when the middle transportation system is folded away, then cartons can be folded up to a minimum open carton width of 1.8 inches (45 millimeters).

Keyword Fish-Tailing Effect: How can this be avoided?
Jansen: We have equipped the transfer station with a variator drive. This enables the upper belts in the transfer station to run at a different speed than that of the lower belts - for example faster, thus preventing the "fish tailing effect". The ejector system module is a further innovation for quality management. It removes faulty cartons in the direction of travel whilst the machine is in full operation.

Which innovation impresses customers the most in your opinion?
Jansen: That's hard to say. Probably the changing of the feeder belts. That is a completely new feature. For the first time, operators are able to use the appropriate belt for the surface quality of the carton. They may choose between a soft or hard belt in order to work without leaving marks or may change between a suction or standard belt. What is really impressive is that only 30 seconds are needed to change a belt. I even tried it out myself. Up until now it took half an hour for all types of belts.

Characteristics Diana X 115

• Prefolds of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) in the prefolder und in the folding unit of 12.1 feet (3.7 meters) in length.
• Working width: maximum 45.3 inches (1,150 millimeters)
• Surface weight: 200 to 900 grams per square meter as well as N-, F-, E- and B-flute corrugated cardboard.
• Machine speed of up to 2,133 feet/minute (650 metres/minute) (equivalent to more than 200,000 cartons per hour); in the version with rotary module: maximum machine speed 1,476 feet/minute (450 meters/minute).
• Fully automatic changeover (e.g. transportation systems, pressing station); can be integrated into the Prinect Workflow.
• Equipment: optional rotary module, collapsible carton module, lockbottom module, pressing module and ejector system module. All modules have a maintenance-free servodrive.