Inkjet & Digital Printing
Xeikon Supports Green Printing at Labelexpo
Thursday 24. September 2009 - Xeikon 3300 delivers exceptional production capacity and broader applications variety
Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, is to showcase its best-in-class digital label printer, the Xeikon 3300, at Labelexpo. The company will demonstrate a wide range of innovative applications that are possible with the digital press, including heat transfer applications and on-demand personalized label printing on a broad variety of substrates. Delegates will discover how the Xeikon 3300 boosts productivity, is easy to integrate and can make their business a far more eco-friendly operation.Xeikon can be found in the Digital Experience Hall 9, stand H60. The company will also be supporting the daily conference dedicated to digital printing, which takes place in the Digital Experience Hall.
“Labelexpo 2009 is a crucial event for us,” says Filip Weymans, Business Development Manager Labels & Packaging: “During these difficult economical times, the label and packaging market remains one of our strongest growth markets. Were looking forward to showing visitors how the latest digital technology, like the Xeikon 3300, can be easily slotted into their existing set-ups and in no time increase their productivity and revenue.”
Xeikon is Gold Sponsor of The Green Award
For the first time at Labelexpo Europe, a specific area of the exhibition floor is dedicated to showcasing the latest developments in green and sustainable labels and packaging, as well as the benefits and opportunities of going green. Products showcased in the Green Park will be judged on their green merits by a panel of industry experts in the labels and packaging industry, with the winner announced at an awards ceremony. Creating eco-friendly solutions is a crucial component of Xeikon business strategy, making it a natural step for the company to become Gold Sponsor of the Green Park.
Frank Vanmeenen, Global Marketing Manager Punch Graphix International is excited about the Green Park initiative: “At Xeikon, we want to make environmentally friendly production a reality. Our aim is to minimize the environmental impact of our products throughout their entire lifespan, and reduce the recycling costs of our presses, consumables, and the printed material they produce. Not only do we want our products to comply with existing environmental directives, we adopt best practice so that were better placed to comply with future standards. To this end, its very fitting that we sponsor the Green Award.”
Lode Deprez, Vice President Toner & Developer Group at Punch Graphix International, highlights numerous initiatives undertaken to support the companys green message: “We aim to meet our eco-objectives by using alternative raw materials or by reducing the amount of raw materials we use; by improving production process efficiency and reducing waste generation; by optimizing energy consumption and product lifecycles; and by improving product disposal and recyclability.
“Its also worth remembering that some digital printing technologies are more environmentally friendly than others. Recyclability of printed matter is just one of the many benefits dry toner electro photography has over other technologies. Xeikon presses in particular minimize the impact on the environment and guarantee eco-friendly production of printed material.”
Productivity is crucial
The Xeikon 3300 ensures customers can print their labels as fast as they need to. The system has a top speed of 19.2 m/min and is one of the fastest digital colour label press on the market. The press has a duty cycle of 700,000 m/month, making it possible to run it in a 24-hour shift. Plus Xeikon’s full rotary printing technology makes finishing easy. The position of the labels, regardless of their size, can be easily adjusted to match finishing equipment requirements. And labels with variable formats and sizes can be printed in the same run, resulting in less waste, reduced costs and increased productivity.
The Xeikon 3300 consists of five printing stations equipped with CMYK, plus the option of a variety of standard or custom spot colours to ensure 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 highly significant, as printers build their business plans around predictable production speeds and print volumes. It also allows printers to sell extended colours without sacrificing productivity.
Integration with 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 set-up ensures the different aspects of production are managed efficiently. 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.
Xeikon will demonstrate a live example of JDF integration – the standard for simplifying the production process – using 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. If the order is approved, the MIS will gather all the relevant job settings and artwork, then submit it to the X-800 front end connected to the Xeikon press. After the job is transferred to the Xeikon press, the real-time job status is reported.
Says Weymans: “Digital printing improves flexibility and efficiency in the printing environment. But to really make the most of its capabilities, integration with the other production steps is required – such as order intake, job management – to ensure the move from digital printing to full digital production.”
Wide choice of applications on display
The Xeikon 3300 can handle 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 electro photography imaging process means conventional substrates can be used without coating or pre-treatment.
During Labelexpo, delegates can see the Xeikon 3300 produce a variety of labels on a range of substrates. Applications that will be on display include self-adhesive wine and beer labels, IML labels, cartons and more.
Heat-transfer decoration is a specialized high-quality technology primarily used 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 applications possible on the existing presses.