Tonejet has won the Innovative Partnership category at the Innovation Awards at InPrint 2017 in Munich. The awards consider several themes, including future-oriented partnerships, unusual products, sustainable printing technologies and challenging print surfaces.
The Innovative Partnership prize was awarded for the integration between Tonejet and Rockwell Automation in the Tonejet Cyclone Digital 2-piece Can Decorator for direct to shape metal can printing. The Tonejet Cyclone unites Tonejet’s unique digital print engine with the innovative iTRAK intelligent transport system from Rockwell Automation.
‘Winning the Innovative Partnership Award honours the incredible work that has gone into developing the Tonejet Cyclone,’ said Simon Edwards, VP of sales and marketing at Tonejet. ‘This system represents a huge leap forward in direct-to-shape metal can printing, with features that enhance quality and efficiency while radically reducing time to market. However, we’re very proud to have been given this award considering the quality of the finalists.’
Conventional can printing production has traditionally been hindered by a lack of flexibility in transport and handling processes, meaning that the slowest process dictates the indexing time, and the largest operation dictates the overall size of the machine, which determines the throughput as well as the footprint of the machine. Combining linear and rotary motion, the iTRAK system delivers a flexible, fully integrated solution that helps machine designers achieve a new paradigm in packaging and handling efficiency with improved throughput. The Tonejet Cyclone uses the iTRAK system to accurately transport the cans during the print process, adjusting to the time and space required for each individual operation. This results in higher productivity than conventional processes allow, and ensures a high-quality finish.
