Dehradun-based Zircon Technologies has recently installed five brand new DCM sleeve converting machines at its plant. The newly installed machines at Zircon Technologies include the Sleeve 6 Intense, a fully automatic sleeve seamer; two units of Sleevecut for perforation and cutting applications; Babycat for monitoring seaming strength and doctoring; and the Serval slitter rewinder for processing a range of materials such as films, paper, and foil.
Sanjeev Sondhi, director, Zircon Technologies, said that the company has been consistently investing in cutting-edge printing and finishing equipment from Flexo Image Graphics (FIG), the authorized distributor of DCM ATN machines in India. “This continued association and confidence in the technology is what led us to invest in a set of five DCM ATN machines, enabling us to take our finishing capabilities to the next level,” he added.
Jason Elvery, area sales manager – Asia, DCM ATN, who recently visited India, spoke about the company’s aim to expand its client base in the country, with FIG playing a vital role through its strong team of professionals known for their excellent technical expertise and committed service. “It’s a big plus for us to have such a customer-focused partner as FIG representing us in India,” Elvery said. France-based DCM ATN has been manufacturing printing and converting machines for flexible packaging for over 70 years, including shrink sleeve machines for more than 40 years.
In today’s highly competitive converting landscape, DCM finishing systems incorporate a range of advanced technological features. Gourav Roy, managing director, Flexo Image Graphics, said, “DCM machines are robust, reliable, easy to operate, and highly precise, with a three-year guarantee. A key differentiating aspect of the latest machines is their high level of automation. For instance, the fully automated Sleeve 6 Intense seamer – one of the five machines installed at Zircon Technologies – features inline quality assurance and is designed to deliver consistent performance with minimal operator dependency.”
Explaining how DCM machines enhance automation, reduce wastage, and improve throughput – particularly in high-SKU and short-run environments, Elvery said, “Our fully automated Sleeve 6 Intense ensures very low waste during setup and zero waste during production, thanks to its inline quality assurance.”
He added, “Many customers assume that fully automated machines are not suitable for short-run jobs, but that is not the case. The waste savings achieved through automation quickly justify the ROI of the machines. Customers focused on short-run jobs often opt for the Sleeve 6 Evo, equipped with a single unwinder and single rewinder. It is a modular system that can be upgraded with a non-stop rewinder – and potentially a non-stop unwinder – at a later stage as business requirements grow.”
According to Roy, in the price-sensitive Indian market, many converters try to cut costs by opting for low-cost seaming machines, which ultimately lead to significant wastage during setup and defects such as weak seam strength, inaccurate seam positioning, incorrect lay-flat width, or reel slippage. He added, “DCM ATN’s flagship machines, such as the Sleeve 6, are highly sophisticated, featuring full automation and permanent inline quality assurance, thereby enabling the production of high-quality sleeves in the most economical manner.”
Shrink sleeves are a critical product to manufacture. Firstly, the correct volume of solvent must be consistently applied during seaming – even while ramping machine speeds up or down – otherwise seam strength can be compromised. The Sleeve 6 addresses this with automatic control of the solvent applicator, ensuring a constant volume is applied across speeds ranging from 10 m/min to 500 m/min, without operator intervention. Additionally, the solvent flow is continuously monitored, enabling reliable inline quality assurance.
Secondly, the solvent must be applied at an extremely precise position – less than 0.1 mm from the film edge – to prevent issues such as the finished sleeve potentially cutting the end user’s hand. The Sleeve 6 ensures this through automatic positioning of the solvent applicator, supported by a micro-edge guide that maintains a consistent distance from the web edge, thereby guaranteeing accurate and safe solvent application at all times.
Thirdly, the size of the finished sleeve must always match the dimensions of the container. The lay-flat width – the width of the sleeve in its flat form – is maintained within a tight tolerance of ±0.15 mm on the Sleeve 6. Precise ultrasonic measurement continuously monitors the sleeve width, and, if required, automatically adjusts the forming table to ensure that the lay-flat width consistently remains within the specified ±0.15 mm tolerance.
Fourthly, to eliminate any risk of the finished rewind reel slipping, the Sleeve 6 is equipped with a fully automatic oscillation system. This system can be fully customized and includes automatic lateral offset, ensuring that the rewind reels are perfectly balanced, even when the seam is positioned very close to the fold.
Speaking about the ROI that converters can expect from investments in DCM ATN machines, Elvery said, “Many of our customers across the globe who operate both the Sleeve 6 and other machines report savings of around €40,000-50,000 in waste when using DCM equipment.”
DCM sleeve machines are designed to handle a range of sleeve materials, including PET, PVC, OPS, PLA, and polyolefin. The suitability of the film and inks remains dependent on shrink sleeve application requirements. The machines support inks such as solvent-based, water-based, and UV, and are compatible with multiple printing technologies, including flexo, rotogravure, digital, and screen printing.
The Sleeve 6 operates at speeds up to 500 m/min, including on challenging applications such as very thin films and extra-large sleeves. The Sleeve 6 Intense installed at Zircon Technologies is equipped with inline quality assurance and a range of options, including perforation, hot-melt, pinhole microperforation, non-stop unwinder, and non-stop rewinder. The machine is fully automated and is designed to limit material waste to less than 20 metres during job changeovers.
Elvery said, “Converters in India, as in other markets, have varied production profiles. While some focus on long-run jobs using rotogravure, others operate digital and flexo presses for shorter runs. For short-run applications, minimizing waste is critical, which is addressed through the fully automated capabilities of the Sleeve 6.”
He added, “Several customers from India have visited the DCM ATN factory in France, located about a 10-minute drive west of Paris, to test-run the fully automated Sleeve 6. These visits have often resulted in customers gaining a clearer understanding of the machine’s capabilities and proceeding with investments in DCM equipment.”
