Martin specifies Watson-Marlow for its NT range of rotary diecutters

Martin, specialist manufacturer of equipment for the corrugated industry, is using up to 200 Watson-Marlow 621F/RE peristaltic pumps per year on its new DRO NT range of rotary diecutters. The DRO NT machines use up to eight 621F/RE pumps for ink feed, helping to provide printers of corrugated board with better print quality through improved colour register, on items such as point-of-sale cartons.

Peristaltic pumps contain the ink within the pumps' tube so there is no possibility of contamination with dust particles. The gentle peristaltic action also prevents the ink from foaming - one of the causes of uneven ink distribution resulting in poor print quality.

Jean-Luc Mion, research and development manager at Martin says: "The smooth pump action keeps the flow of ink constant, eliminating pulsation which can cause a build-up of pressure inside the chamber blades. The flow rate we use is between 2.5 and 3 l/min depending on ink viscosity.

"Watson-Marlow peristaltic pumps are also simple to clean. The pumps have a reverse flow feature which can pull the ink back from the chamber blades before cleaning - minimising waste ink and reducing the amount of time taken to clean the machine. Water is then flushed through the tube to wash the chamber blades on each print unit."

Maintenance of the 621F/RE pumps involves a quick six-monthly check, with a more detailed annual check. By knowing the expected life of the tubing (3000 hours), Martin can time maintenance checks so that there is no downtime required for tube changes during print runs.

More information on 600 series pumps.