Inkjet & Digital Printing
Xeikon to Demonstrate Latest Digital Print Portfolio at Labelexpo
Friday 17. July 2009 - Xeikon 3300 delivers exceptional production capacity and broader applications variety
The extent to which digital presses are used for label printing is expanding rapidly. To demonstrate the scope of digital capabilities, Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, will demonstrate at Labelexpo the Xeikon 3300, its top of the line digital press for label and package printers. In the Digital Experience Hall 9, stand H60, Xeikon will conduct live demonstrations showing a wide range of innovative applications that are possible with a digital press. These include unique heat transfer applications as well as on-demand, personalized label printing on a broad variety of substrates. Xeikon will also be supporting the daily conference dedicated to digital printing, taking place in the Digital Experience Hall.
“We consider it important to exhibit at Labelexpo 2009, as Xeikon makes tremendous strides offering digital presses to companies in the label and packaging industry,” says Filip Weymans, Business development manager Labels & Packaging: “Xeikon has always been a prominent participant at Labelexpo shows, since 1996. During these difficult economical times, the label and packaging market remains one of our strongest growth markets. End-users are looking at reducing costs, therefore ordering smaller quantities to minimize their inventory. This drives the need to produce labels more quickly, supporting the use of digital print as a time and cost effective print process.”
Greater, faster print productivity with new large-capacity unwinder
The Xeikon 3300 allows label printers to offer exceptionally high-quality digital label printing at a true 1200 dpi resolutionfour bits per spot. At its top speed of 19.2 meters per minute and monthly duty cycle of 750.000 linear meters, it delivers a fast and cost-effective means to print short to medium print runs and just-in-time jobs. Its full rotary printing technology ensures that printers can rely on a predictable print volume. It also allows labels with variable repeat lengths and any size format to be printed in the same run. The result is less waste, reduced costs and increased productivity.
At Labelexpo, Xeikon will unveil a new extension to its digital offerings, outfitted with a large capacity unwinder, which is capable of handling larger substrate rolls. “Because the Xeikon 3300 is developed for larger print runs, the large capacity unwinder was a logical step in our solution offerings,” comments Filip Weymans. “The introduction of a larger capacity unwinder allows a press to operate longer without the inconvenience of replacing rolls of stock, reducing operator intervention by 50%. This allows printers to reconsider a cut off point before going to more traditional presses such as flexo, and will move up the break-even point significantly.”
The Xeikon 3300 consists of five printing stations equipped with CMYK plus the option of a variety of standard or custom spot colours to assure perfect reproduction of any brand colours. The press can also apply a special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, and one-pass opaque white to create a desired no-label-look on transparent labels. The Xeikon 3300 press speed is independent of the number of colours that are printed for any specific job. This is extremely significant, because print companies build their business plans relying on predictable production speeds and print volumes. It also allows printers to sell extended colours without sacrificing productivity.
Xeikon X-800 Digital Front End
Another impressive part of the Xeikon 3300 is its X-800 digital front-end. Based on open standards, the X-800 can be integrated in any kind of production environment. Its modular setup provides the advantage to manage the different aspects of production in an efficient way. Prepress functions such as impositions and colour management can be allocated in the prepress environment allowing the press operator to focus on print quality. This contributes to higher press throughput, and productivity on the Xeikon 3300.
Leading the path of innovation, Xeikon will demonstrate a live example of JDF integration, the standard to simplifying the production process. In this case it will involve Deixis web portal software, CERM MIS software and Xeikons X-800 digital front-end. The application will allow end users to request a job through a web portal. Automatically, a price quotation generated by the MIS system gives the customer the choice to proceed with the order, or not. In case of a positive response, the MIS will gather all the relevant job settings and artwork, and submit it to the X-800 front end connected to the Xeikon press. Once the job is transferred to the Xeikon press, real-time job status will be reported.
Filip Weymans: “Digital printing provides a considerable improvement in terms of flexibility and efficiency in the printing environment. But to maximise the capabilities, integration with the other production steps is required, such as order intake, job management, etc.actually moving from digital printing to digital production.”
Wide choice of applications on display
The Xeikon 3300 is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.
During Labelexpo, attendees are welcome to witness the power of the Xeikon 3300 firsthand, while it produces a variety of labels produced on a range of substrates. Labels produced on the Xeikon 3300 will be converted inline on the DCoat finishing equipment.
Heat-transfer decoration is a specialized high quality technology primarily utilized in the cosmetic industry and other markets where plastic containers are used. It replaces direct printing presses by offering greater productivity and quality. Xeikon sees heat-transfer printing as a new opportunity for label printers and extends the range of application possible on the existing presses.
All applications demonstrated at Labelexpo will highlight the unique features and capabilities of the award-winning Xeikon product line of presses in terms of quality, productivity, format and substrate flexibility. Applications on display include self-adhesive wine and beer labels, IML labels, cartons, and more.