SPS Unveils ASTRON QX – A New Generation of Full Servo Drive Camera Image Registration Cylinder Machine

28 January 2025: The development of the SPS ASTRON QX range of servo cylinder machines is the result of years of close cooperation between SPS TechnoScreen and ATMA. The result is the best of two worlds, the vast experience of SPS combined with the superior design and production capability of ATMA Champ Ent. Corp

Sheet Feeder …
The ASTRON QX is combined with the proven single sheet front pick-up feeder FP57. This feeder is extremely easy to setup and can separate even the most sticky sheets. Also the FP57 is fully servo driven.

Cylinder & Screen Servo Drive …
In order to achieve maximum flexibility and durability the ASTRON QX57 is equipped with individual servo drive for the cylinder and electro-magnetic linear motors for the screen carrier

Ergonomics …
The sheet feeder is open and easy accessible for the operator to load and / or correct the sheet pile.
The screen can be inspected either at the sheet exit side of the machine or sliding it out to the operator side.

Screen Carrier …
The independently driven screen carrier is of heavy duty solid anodized aluminum, screens are loaded by sliding them in from the operator side of the press; the retractable screen holder runs on precise linear bearings and can be pulled outside the machine for correction / cleaning purposes; after pushing this back, the original register is maintained.

Initial Job Set-Up …
ASTRON QX offers the fastest job change in the industry; the camera controlled auto-screen register system will recognize the extra fiducials exposed in the screen and set the new screen into registration in less than 1 minute; the fully automatic squeegee program sets pressure, active print path, flood coater depth in less than 1 minute; the (optional) serismart F will set all sheet size related settings fully automatic and in less than 1 minute.

Traditional Sheet-Edge Registration …
Like the traditional range of SPS cylinder machines, the ASTRON QX can register the sheets against front- and side-lay stops. 4 front-lay stops are integrated in the cylinder; the 2 center stops are slightly offset and used for the small sheet sizes; the 2 outer stops are used for the larger sheet sizes.

Camera Image Registration …
In addition to the traditional “sheet-edge” register system by means of front- and side-lay stops, the ASTRON QX is also equipped with camera “image” registration. The camera image registration can prove to be beneficial in case of combination of screen and digital print, soft sheet edge making lay stop register less accurate, lamination and or glue sheet edge, lack of skilled operators, etc.

Squeegee System …
The ASTRON QX series has a full new designed, extremely heavy-duty squeegee assembly, using servo motors and ball screws to execute the up / down movement for both squeegee and flood coater. In addition the pressure for the squeegee is applied by hydraulic cylinders. Pressure is set from the HMI in n/m² per cm squeegee length.

Human Machine Interface …
With the design of the ASTRON QX series special attention was given to “industry 4.0” conformity. All machine parameters and logs can be linked to the back office. This will give management full access to production data, hence optimized production processes.

www.sps-technoscreen.com