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With the new MDC PRECUT technology, Daetwyler SwissTec is setting another milestone in precision and occupational safety. Using laser technology, Daetwyler SwissTec perforates the MDC doctor blade with exact millimeter accuracy to the customer‘s specified dimensions, which are dependent on the printing presses utilized. The basic handling does not change for the user as this technology is offered in roll format by Daetwyler SwissTec. The individual doctor blade can be snapped apart at the specified length from the roll, eliminating any manual cutting steps and thereby also eliminating the associated risk of injury at the doctor blade table.

Check out the MDC PRECUT Movie!

The MDC LONGLIFE already revolutionized the printing industry since its market launch. Thanks to the specially developed Longlife coating, print qualities and service lives were achieved in printing that were previously unimaginable. Today large and small printers all over the world trust in the quality of MDC doctor blades, especially the MDC LONGLIFE.

Sustainable increase in efficiency and cost savingsThe new MDC LONGLIFE PRO was specifically designed by Daetwyler SwissTec for gravure printing applications. All the many years of experience that Daetwyler has gained with coated doctor blades in the printing industry could be incorporated in this development. Gravure printers are facing great challenges. Efficiency increases and cost savings are daily topics in the pressroom. The MDC LONGLIFE PRO was developed precisely to meet these requirements. The MDC LONGLIFE PRO achieves outstanding quality immediately without run-in times. Once the blade has been setup, the doctoring is clean and constant over the entire run length. This is the essential and crucial advantage of the MDC LONGLIFE PRO. 

Daetwyler SwissTec has more than 50 years of experience in gravure printing. With the MDC LONGLIFE PRO Daetwyler SwissTec has managed to print consistently over the entire runtime with minimal contact pressure as well with one machine setup. In addition, this special feature results in less friction in the contact zone, which has a positive effect on chrome wear of the gravure cylinder

Advantages

• Excellent doctoring in full tone and half tone printing
• Direct doctoring without readjustments
• Clean and constant wiping over the entire blade life
• Reduced friction and gentle to the chrome surface
• User friendly doctor blade during the printing process

MDC ROTOSTAR REPLACES MDC IBOSTAR

Daetwyler SwissTec replace MDC IBOSTAR with MDC ROTOSTAR. The MDC ROTOSTAR will then be available for all gravure applications. It is specially developed as an entry-level product in the coated gravure doctor blades market.

SMALL BATCH SIZES ARE CHALLENGING THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY

Product variations with small to medium batch sizes are presenting packaging manufacturers with even greater challenges. Increases in efficiency and cost savings are associated with this. The MDC ROTOSTAR is precisely designed to print small to medium jobs quickly and efficiently in gravure over short lead times without additional doctor blade changes.

ADVANTAGES:

• Made for gravure printing

• Suitable for mid-run jobs

• Corrosion protection

• Short run-in period

• Reduces hasing and streaks

MDC ROTOSTAR provides optimum doctoring from the first contact with the gravure cylinder. There is no need to run-in the doctor blade. Clean doctoring throughout the entire printing process is ensured thanks to an additional low-friction soft coating. This means that the doctor blade pressure can be set to a required minimum right from the start, which has a positive effect on chrome wear of the gravure cylinder. In addition, the MDC ROTOSTAR is provided with an all-round coating that offers optimum corrosion protection, regardless of whether solvent or water-based inks are used.

In November, our annual sales meeting of all Asian sales partners took place in Bangkok, Thailand. After such a long time, it was a pleasure for us to welcome all our partners in Bangkok. The entire Asian sales team, including the technical team of our Singapore subsidiary  was very active in exchanging information and experiences. 

Face-to-face meetings and contacts cannot be replaced by Zoom or team meetings. During the meetings the team have been informed about the latest developments, which will be launched soon in the market here in Asia. A big thank you to everyone especially to our partner Mega Uni Trade.

«Image-to-Print»  has a focus on market trends, strategies and the latest technical developments in inks, printing forms, gravure and flexo presses and laminating equipment. Furthermore, the worldwide roadshows provides a good base for technical discussions  and the needs of the local market will be discussed and analysed at the respective conference.

We are very pleased to be a part of «Image-to-Print».

More information https://www.image-to-print.com/

The latest issue of Flexo + Tiefdruck (3-2022) contains an exciting article about the doctor blade. Ansgar Wessendorf writes about the background of this awe-inspiring development from Daetwyler. 

Link to the article: https://www.flexotiefdruck.de/gravure-global/who-invented-it-the-swiss-of-course/

(Source: Flexo + Tiefdruck, Edition 3 - 2022)

This year, our lamella doctor blade will turn 50! It all started 50 years ago at Ringier in Zofingen. The well-known entertainment magazine the „yellow magazine“ was printed by Ringier, however, the brown ink used was very abrasive and immediately started toning. Due to the constant wear of the doctor blades used at that time, the doctor blade contact area increased, which resulted in a permanent tonal value change. At the beginning of the seventies, this prompted the then Technical Management of Ringer - under the direction of Max Widmer and his assistant Ruedi Fankhauser -  to find a solution for uniform doctor blade wiping. Finally, Hans Burgener from Ringier came up with the idea of developing a lamella: our current lamella doctor blade.  The doctor blade newly developed by him was produced very elaborately with etching solution, and it already had the great advantage that the doctor blade contact area remained the same throughout the printing process. 

The foundation of today‘s lamella doctor blade was thus laid in Switzerland at the beginning of the seventies. However, Ringier was not completely satisfied with the reinvention, but had neither time nor employees to pursue this ingenious idea further. Therefore, Max Daetwyler & Co. took over the invention for further development and patenting! Max Daetwyler immediately recognized the hidden potential of this innovation and further developed this doctor blade shape. In a short time, a euphoria and momentum of ideas and developments arose. The doctor blades were no longer etched, but ground with high precision on self-developed grinding machines. Various steel materials were also tested and continuously further developed and improved. And last but not least, Daetwyler came up with the idea of coating the doctor blade.

That was a revolution in gravure printing. Daetwyler‘s coated doctor blades not only increased service life, but they also significantly improved print quality and became a household name. The Daetwyler doctor blades, whether coated or uncoated, stand for quality and reliability worldwide. And so, the ingenious idea of the „MDC lamella doctor blade“ will turn 50 this year. We have been on the market with our doctor blades for 50 years and we can proudly say that we remain number ONE on the doctor blade market.