Irish Flexible Packaging has elevated a Schiavi CI flexo press back to peak performance with upgrade package from BOBST

Mex, Switzerland, 15^th January 2025

With the support of BOBST, Irish Flexible Packaging has revitalized a legacy CI flexo press at its Carnew site with an upgrade package, returning the machine to its former glory.

BOBST has significantly enhanced the 20-year-old Schiavi EF4040 press by installing new drives on the rewinder module, ensuring improved uptime and performance while addressing obsolescence issues. Specifically, digital Unidrive M AC drives have replaced the existing ones, whilst the operator panel has been upgraded to a Siemens TP900. A Profibus encoder has been installed in the rewinder turret to further modernize the press. ​ 

Irish Flexible Packaging, which has been part of ProAmpac’s European network since late 2021, is now reaping the rewards of the upgrade. Pat O’Brien, flexographic print supervisor, noted: “We were encountering issues with the drives in the rewinder module. There are two drives, and one wasn’t running. Due to age, parts are hard to find and repairs difficult to make. If the other drive went down, the machine would be at a standstill. We were advised by the BOBST team that was an inevitability. When we started to experience intermittent breakdowns of the rewinder, it became necessary to upgrade the drives.” 

The objectives were to reduce machine downtime, improve control reliability, reduce service requests and tune-ups, as well as ensure easier availability of spare parts. 

Pat continued: “It’s fair to say we were starting to experience major downtime with the old rewind system. Over the course of a 20-hour shift, in a full production run and when swapping 10-12 reels over manually, we were experiencing 2-3 hours of downtime.” 

“The upgrade is priceless. Personally, I no longer have to worry about the consequences of a breakdown and the hassle of locating and replacing obsolete parts. Now I can rest assured that any maintenance required will not be an issue, thanks to the BOBST team being readily available to get us back up and running promptly. On top of that BOBST even connected the new components, allowing the maintenance to be provided remotely.” 

BOBST places a strong emphasis on helping its customers keep their existing machinery in optimal condition, if not improving them, ensuring consistent profitability. Maurizio Trecate, Sales Director at BOBST FIRENZE, said: “Legacy flexo machinery continues to hold significant value in the packaging market, with many machines in operation for 30 years or longer. These machines collectively produce millions of square meters of printed material each year, requiring careful maintenance to remain effective production tools for converters worldwide.” 

"It's fantastic to see that the upgrades and preventative maintenance at Irish Flexible Packaging have given Pat and his team peace of mind. They can now be confident that their press will continue running smoothly for years to come, producing perfectly printed packaging for their customers.” 

Pat O’Brien concluded: “The BOBST team’s intervention to ensure our Schiavi EF4040 remains fully operational has been priceless. It has made a huge difference by improving our output, bringing massive savings in maintenance costs and lost production time, and helping us remain competitive. I can’t reiterate enough the benefits we’ve experienced with the upgrade and the experience of working with BOBST on this. We’re already looking at where the next upgrades might take place to continue this and look forward to working with BOBST again.”

Image caption: Pat O'Brien, flexographic print supervisor at Irish Flexible Packaging increased uptime and performance of a 20-year-old Schiavi CI flexo press with an upgrade package from BOBST.

The release can be downloaded here:

About BOBST
​We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries. Our vision is to shape the future of the packaging world based on four pillars: connectivity, digitalization, automation and sustainability.
​Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 21 production facilities in 12 countries and employs more than 6 300 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.960 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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