On 27 and 28 June 2018, WEKO invited its international sales agencies and subsidiaries to the WEKO International Sales Meeting at its headquarters in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The mix of topics of technical training, market analyses, user reports and future market orientation was very well received by the participants. “It was a highly informative meeting with interesting new application options, which we now also want to implement in our market,” said one of the enthusiastic participants from overseas.

WEKO gave its partners an insight into current development projects that will be launched on the market in the future and showed the continued positive sales development of the individual divisions. As a social programme matching the World Cup in a timely manner, a goal shooting competition took place, in which the ladies were clearly ahead of the men in goal scoring winning all prizes.

On the second day, a factory tour of the production plant in Rosenfeld-Heiligenzimmern was on the agenda. WEKO provided deep insights into its structured production and quality processes, which are ensured, for example, by ISO9001:2015, KANBAN and 5S. In addition, Product Management presented various product innovations directly to the interested participants at a current WEKO plant.

In addition, management and the partners present at the international sales meeting took the opportunity to bid farewell to sales manager Dietrich Zinn to his well-deserved retirement. Zinn worked successfully for WEKO for 18 years and officially handed over the “ball” to his successor Tobias Schurr, who is now responsible for sales, marketing, product management and the pilot line.

In the evening all participants and the entire staff were invited to the WEKO Summer Festival in the Fossil Forum in Dotternhausen.

Os especialistas da WEKO em todo o mundo, apoiam a escolha e integração de sistemas de aplicação mínima sem contato no processo de produção e a filial WEKO América Latina no Brasil vem fazendo isso há 10 anos.

O fabricante alemão de máquinas Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG (WEKO), tem bons motivos para comemorar. Fazem 10 anos que os diretores Carlheinz Weitmann e Marcel Konrad lançaram as bases para a entrada no mercado Brasileiro e no continente sul-americano com a aquisição da URBAN Equipamentos industriais.

Desde 2010, Benjamin Ziel é o Diretor Gerente da nova empresa WEKO América Latina. "Estamos muito satisfeitos por termos conseguido estabelecer relações comerciais para a WEKO na América do Sul e apresentar os sistemas de aplicação mínima aos mais diversos segmentos", disse Benjamin. Inicialmente, a WEKO América Latina era especializada apenas no segmento têxtil. No entanto, Benjamin Ziel conseguiu integrar com sucesso os outros mercados-alvo da WEKO, como tecidos, filmes plásticos, não tecidos, papel, madeira e impressão no portfólio. Também no próximo ano de 2018 a WEKO América Latina estará representada em várias feiras na América Latina, na Colombiatex em Medellín, Expoprint em São Paulo e Febratex em Blumenau, no estado onde está sediada, Santa Catarina. A WEKO acredita na localização sul-americana de vendas e produção em Indaial / Brasil. "Nós enxergamos o potencial e queremos continuar a expandir. Nossos sistemas são inovadores e nossos clientes podem se diferenciar com o uso da WEKO dos seus concorrentes. Este é um bom começo para um mercado em crescimento ", diz Benjamin Ziel.

Manufacturers and finishers of high-quality nonwovens offer a large selection of different functionalisations, e.g. hydrophilic, hydrophobic, antimicrobial, perfuming, flame-retardant, dirt-repellent or smoothing finishings. Liquid, water-based dispersions applied to the nonwovens are usually used for these functionalisation.

An application system specifically developed by WEKO offers high production and cost benefits compared to conventional application methods. Using the slogan "Don't play - work with precision!" WEKO positions itself on the international market with a high-precision system that applies finishing chemicals on the nonwoven web in exactly metered quantities and absolutely clean – without gimmicks and wasting resources.

Finest micro-droplets are generated with the WEKO application system and then applied to the web by kinetic energy. Even smallest amounts of liquid can thus be applied to webs up to 7 m wide, uniformly and consistently.

Chemicals and energy – major cost factors

The liquid applied mostly consists of water and the actual ingredients that give the functional properties. Because water needs to be diverted again, the amount and cost of the chemicals are in direct relationship to the drier energy.

The WEKO system lets you adjust and control the application quantity so that the desired function of the finishing is reliably provided while reducing the amount of liquor required to a minimum. Enormous savings – due to minimising the applied liquor and, in addition, the marked reduction of the required drier energy – are the result.

Quality – even faster

WEKO application systems work contactless. The web remains dimensionally stable, both in length and width, and retains its original volume. Compared to touch and roller systems, the nonwoven web is not stretched by system-related tensile forces and does not require squeezing through rubber rollers either. This produces greater product quality.

In addition, thanks to the non-contact application extreme web speeds can be realised, especially with very thin nonwovens.

Variable – why not

Thanks to the flexible rotor application liquor can be applied either to one side only or to both sides. Liquid application can be freely selected depending on the configuration of the system. Hydrophobic applications can be applied to one side, for example, to facilitate lamination of the back side. Likewise, applications can be realised where each side is finished with a different function. Even wet-in-wet applications can be produced thanks to the non-contact application as well as exact and minimum application quantity.

Disposal – an expensive matter

WEKO application systems also score very well when it comes to sustainability. The capacity of the liquor tanks is variable and can be chosen according to the respective application conditions. Only a small amount of residual liquor is generated.

Non-contact application also prevents fibres, particles or pigments from being carried over into the downstream application liquors. The liquids remain largely clean and can therefore be reused for subsequent jobs, depending on the chemical stability. In addition to the positive environmental balance, disposal costs can be significantly reduced.

Comparison – at eye level

Due to the nature of the system, the investment costs for WEKO rotation systems are higher than those of simple roller systems. However, when considering that high-quality nonwovens necessarily require an additional measuring device to control the application volume; this is quickly put into perspective in favour of the exactly controlled WEKO system, according to Markus Klempin, product manager at WEKO.
In addition to product quality and variability, the systems particularly distinguish themselves through savings in the areas of chemicals and energy. Contact the manufacturer, WEKO, Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG, directly to obtain more information about costs, sustainability and amortisation.

At this year's K fair in Düsseldorf, Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG will showcase a variety of applications which give plastic films special properties – true to the motto "Don't play – work with precision!". The focus will be on the functionalisation of films by the non-contact spray application of anti-blocking, anti-fog or anti-static additives.

WEKO – on the market for more than 60 years – has specialised in precise and non-contact applications of minimal liquid or powder quantities on plastic films and other material webs. WEKO know-how and quality are provided all around the world. Many renowned film manufacturers already trust in WEKO when it comes to functional film coatings.

To deliberately differentiate from competitors, more and more packaging and film manufacturers rely on functionally finished films and offer their customers products with special properties. Apart from the option to add suitable additives to the batch, e.g. anti-blocking agents, cost-aware and eco-sensitive manufacturers use a surface-coating technology, such as the common anti-blocking coating of PET films. For the manufacturing of deep-drawing products, emulsions that often contain silicone make it easier to release the shells from their deep-drawing moulds and to remove the final products from piles. On the one hand, this precise application of minimal quantities of anti-blocking agents allows for the manufacturing of high-quality products and, on the other hand, cost advantages can be achieved by higher cycle rates, reduction of downtime and separating agent consumption.

Another interesting option to reduce sticking is the application of a very fine equally distributed powder film with WEKO's non-contact powder application systems.

In addition to PET films, many pretreated polyolefin products can also be coated. In this way, you can improve the sliding properties and apply anti-static, anti-fog and antibacterial coatings. Curling on coextruded films can be eliminated by the application of minimal liquid quantities.

Regardless of whether films with anti-block, anti-fog, anti-static or anti-microbial properties, WEKO systems enable a highly precise minimal application of liquid or powdery additives. This brings a high degree of flexibility in the production in combination with considerable cost savings for the granules.

Visitors of K Düsseldorf can find out first hand at the Stand 4E25 in Hall 4 about the WEKO solutions and meet with WEKO experts to discuss their specific application.

Paper conditioning through remoistening in digital printing

No printing without WEKO! This textbook statement applies also to digital printing. Whether digital or conventional, many printing processes require drying processes. If the printing carrier is paper, it looses its original properties through drying. Electrostatic charges, waviness, paper curl or the break at the fold are effects that apparently belong to the daily work routine of a digital printer today.

Why does paper react so sensitively to physical impact? Are effective countermeasures available to maintain productivity and quality?

These are questions Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG, in brief, WEKO, has asked themselves. The experts from the Stuttgart area have specialised in the development and production of minimum application systems for moistening and powder-spraying of surfaces for over 60 years. The owner-managed company positions its products between printing and further processing thus bridging the gap between these two processing operations.

The latest development – the WEKO DigiCon – will be presented at the drupa 2016; it was developed for high-performance inkjet printing systems and restores the moisture withdrawn in the drying process to the paper. But why does this have such a positive effect on the quality of the finished product?

Paper is a natural product

Paper is a "living" product that cannot be standardised and its behaviour during diverse processing operations can never be completely anticipated, because paper essentially consists of plant fibres. They expand up to 25 per cent when absorbing moisture. In the same way, fibres shrink under the effect of heat when loosing moisture. Depending on the composition and manufacturing process, each paper has a defined moisture. Paper reacts to climate changes during printing and processing with changes of its properties, with dimensional fluctuations and paper curl.

Challenges for digital printing

Digital printing presses today work primarily either with toner-based electro-photography or high-performance inkjet technology. With both methods the print web runs through a process – fixing the toner or drying of the ink – where high temperatures act on the paper. The original moisture is lost then. Only 15 to 20 per cent residual moisture remain in the paper. The fibres shrink and the generally known and undesirable effects occur: Paper curl (the paper curls), waviness and electrostatic charges are the effects that significantly affect any kind of further processing and cause a quality reduction of the end product. In addition, the paper becomes brittle and breaks at the fold.

The solution: paper conditioning through remoistening

Paper conditioning through remoistening is an extremely effective measure of restoring the paper's original properties. The latest development of the WEKO experts – the WEKO DigiCon – are based on the WEKO RFDi conditioning unit for high-performance printing systems working with toner, proven for quite some time. The WEKO DigiCon is designed for the needs of high-performance inkjet printing systems and has been developed in close cooperation with the renowned digital printing machine manufacturers.

Non-contact remoistening through proven WEKO technology

The special spray discs (rotors) are the core of these minimum application systems. They turn at a high speed generating a uniform stream of finest micro-droplets. Adjustable sliders regulate spray fans which border on each other seamlessly. In this manner, the WEKO DigiCon conditions the processed paper with an exactly metered liquid supply. It receives its original (positive) properties back and optimises running and stacking properties. The result are production runs free from malfunctions, less paper waste and markedly increased product quality.

"Paper conditioning through remoistening of the paper is an important step towards high-quality printing products", explains Thomas Laissle, product manager at WEKO. "Because of the printing process, this technology is especially appreciated for pages with high ink application and paperbacks", continues Laissle. The visitors or this year's drupa can see for themselves in detail. Numerous machine manufacturers will present printing lines at their booths equipped with the WEKO DigiCon conditioning unit. Furthermore, the WEKO experts provide consultation directly at their booth in hall 2 stand 2B54 under the motto "DON’T PLAY – WORK WITH PRECISION".

Integration in all common printing lines

 "The different installations also demonstrate how easily the unit can be integrated into all common printing lines and the advantages resulting from the application. The proven technology also requires very little maintenance and is highly energy-efficient. This makes it an economically and ecologically useful investment" emphasises Marcel Konrad, managing partner at WEKO.

New requirements through further development of printing presses

In addition to the development of the WEKO DigiCon the WEKO WebCon for the HP T-series was developed in parallel in close cooperation with the digital printing machine manufacturer HP. This conditioning unit specifically follows the evolution of the HP high-performance endless printing systems in regard to high speed, high colour resolution and a wide range of papers and grammages. These attributes demand maximum flexibility and quantity variability of the conditioning unit. Again, the WEKO experts have outperformed themselves and can now cover the entire requirements profile of HP with the WEKO WebCon through innovative developments and without adaptations of system configurations.

"Don't play - work with precision!" – this is WEKO's appeal for its presentation at drupa 2016. With its sustainable and precise WEKO application systems for powder and liquids WEKO positions itself as advanced and innovative development partner.

The WEKO brand has been an important partner for end customers and OEMs in the printing industry for over 60 years. The long-term success of the customers is just as important as the WEKO quality and ongoing development of solutions for new print technologies. Innovation is constantly driven at WEKO.

Managing Director Marcel Konrad, Sales and Marketing, is therefore excited about drupa 2016. "Especially at this time, when the printing industry is undergoing major changes, WEKO is a committed partner for all printing and digital printing machine manufacturers as well as for printing companies and service providers. We are engaged, both in the area of classical powder sprayers and the development of state of the art conditioning units for digital printing. We are convinced that our new developments are cutting edge innovations. We offer renowned and globally active printing machine manufacturers and their customers WEKO system that make a significant contribution to increasing the print quality and productivity," delights Konrad.

The systems contribute to increasing the processing speed and decisively facilitate further processing. At this, WEKO always pursues ecologically sustained approaches offering benefits for the future compared to current alternative technologies.

Visitors of drupa 2016 can find out first hand at the Stand 2B54 in Hall 2 about the WEKO solutions and meet with WEKO experts. In addition, the new WEKO solutions in the digital printing area are integrated of nearly all OEMs at the drupa.

From November 2015 PLEVA GmbH is working together with WEKO Italia.

The company WEKO Italia a is well established since many years in the textile, carpet, nonwovens, film, composite, tissue and paper industries. They have experienced technical people to fulfill the demands of the PLEVA customers together on side.

The WEKO Italia team is looking forward for a successful partnership to work out the best solutions for PLEVA customers.

PLEVA GmbH

www.pleva.org

info@pleva.org

Rudolf-Diesel-Strasse 2
D - 72186 Empfingen

Tel.: +49 (0) 7485 -1004
Fax: +49 (0) 7485 -1009

At LIGNA 2015, Weitmann & Konrad GmbH & Co. KG (WEKO) as a recognised partner for the fibreboard industry introduces fluid application systems. These flexible and customisable systems help wood fibreboard manufacturers by a precisely metered application of the smallest amounts of water and separating agents. This application promises higher productivity, less material input, better product properties and less effort for the cleaning of expensive production plants.

The WEKO Fluid Application (WFA) system

This non-contact application system is based on spraying liquids by spinning plates, so-called rotors. Arranged in a row, these rotors rotate at high speed and generate a stream of the finest micro droplets. This helps in realising a uniform liquid application. The application quantity can be quickly and easily adjusted with an extreme accuracy to achieve reproducible results. Liquid is sprayed on the transport belt (bottom) and directly on the fibre mat (top).

Quality improvement

Thanks to the exact liquid application and the steam shock in the press, the board is hardened with an optimal density from the surface to the core.

"The top layer properties as well as the flexural and face strength are considerably improved," explains Marcel Konrad, managing partner with WEKO.

Higher productivity

By the steam shock, the heat of the downstream hot press penetrates the fibre mat more quickly, the adhesive is immediately activated, and the hardening process becomes significantly shorter.

"The plants can be operated with a distinctly higher speed and are thus more efficient," says Konrad.

Less material input and cleaning effort

An added separating agent prevents that the fibre mat adheres to the mould or to the pre-press and hot press and that the fibre board is damaged and the plant is soiled due to this (less grinding allowance and fewer rejects).

"The use of a precise application system can save resources such as material and energy while increasing the productivity," assures Konrad.

High flexibility

WEKO offers a variety of system concepts and options tailored for each plant typology. These systems can be flexibly configured specifically for the relevant requirements. 

"We paid special attention to the ease of operation and servicing. Many details of our system manifest this. With PLC system controllers, it is possible to realise connections to the machine control console, which considerably improves the operating convenience," says Konrad.

Worldwide service

The WEKO experts offer support worldwide with the choice of WEKO Application Systems and the integration into the production process. They help customers enjoy clear benefits with utilisation and costs. Comprehensive services, such as tests at the WEKO technical centre and high WEKO service standards, complete the WEKO offering.

In addition to the headquarters near Stuttgart, WEKO maintains two production sites in Germany and Brazil, company-owned sales and service offices in Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Brazil. Furthermore, WEKO collaborates worldwide with agencies marketing the products and offering the proven WEKO service standard in addition.