Business News

Xeikon announces Xeikon 3000 Series

Thursday 02. September 2010 - Two new Xeikon presses double the choice of speeds and media widths

Xeikon announces the expansion of its successful family of digital label presses to four models which are now collectively named the Xeikon 3000 Series. This is the largest range of digital label presses on the market today, including one completely new model -the Xeikon 3050- and an upgraded replacement for the original Xeikon 3000 model called the Xeikon 3030.

The new entry-level Xeikon 3030 will be introduced worldwide at the Labelexpo Americas exhibition in Chicago (14 -16 September 2010), where the recently announced flagship model, Xeikon 3500, will also be demonstrated for the first time in North America.

“Since we introduced the Xeikon 3000 at Labelexpo Americas 2008 and the Xeikon 3300 at drupa 2008, our sales revenues in the label market have grown substantially despite the economic downturn,” says Filip Weymans, Business Development Manager Labels & Packaging at Xeikon. “Label applications are ideal  to take advantage of the flexibility of our technology. Our award-winning presses now form the strongest and broadest range in the market, from the new entry-level Xeikon 3030 up to the Xeikon 3500, which is the most productive digital label press in the market.”

The four presses all deliver the same print quality and are divided into two maximum web widths: 330 mm (13″) and 516 mm (20.3″), with each width available in entry-level or the higher productivity versions. Entry-level versions are designed to be field-upgraded to the wider and/or faster specifications as the user’s business grows, without having to make any concessions in print quality.

All models can print on an unrivalled range of substrates without pre-coat, including various self-adhesive materials such as co-extruded films, Bopp, PVC and PET, paperboards, paper with weights ranging from 40 to 350 gsm and transparent and opaque foils.

The Xeikon 3000 Series line-up:

Xeikon 3030: the newly upgraded 330 mm (13″) web width entry model that makes it easy for label converters to produce their applications digitally. The press is field-upgradeable to any of the higher Xeikon models allowing customers to grow as their business expands. The Xeikon 3030 replaces the original Xeikon 3000 model introduced at Labelexpo Americas 2008. It features the latest enhancements to the print engine and runs the QA-I toner. The print speed is up to 9,6 m/min (31.5 ft/min). Existing Xeikon 3000 presses can be upgraded the new Xeikon 3030.
Xeikon 3050(1): a new entry point for converters that benefit from running a web width wider than 330 mm (13″) based on the application. Maximum web width can go up to 516 mm (20.3″). This press also runs at up to 9,6 m/min (31.5 ft/min) and is upgradable to a Xeikon 3500.
Xeikon 3300: Xeikon’s best selling high-volume label press, built for use with the most common web width of 330 mm (13″), but also capable of handling a web width as narrow as 200 mm (7.9″), running at speeds up to 19,2 m/min (63 ft/min). The Xeikon 3300 won the prestigious New Innovation Award at the Label Industry Global Awards during Labelexpo Americas 2008 and was the first digital label press to be awarded an InterTech Technology Award in 2009.
Xeikon 3500: the flagship model, announced in May 2010, comes with a printing speed of 19,2 m/min (63 ft/min) and the wider 516 mm (20.3″) maximum web width (and also capable of handling a web width as narrow ad 250 mm (9.8″), making it the most productive label press today. The press can produce up to 570 square meters (6,135 square ft) per hour on a wide range of substrates. The Xeikon 3500 allows label converters to digitally address a wider range of applications and opens up new opportunities to maximize digital production.

Continuous innovation dedicated to label production
All presses of the Xeikon 3000 Series include the latest enhancements to the print station and are based on Xeikon’s LED toner print engine technology. The full rotary printing, with variable repeat length, ensures that speed is not affected by the label size nor the number of colors used.

The 3000 Series also take advantage of Xeikon’s X-800 digital front-end. Based on open standards, the X-800 can be integrated into any production environment and its modular setup allows users to manage different aspects of production in the most efficient manner possible. Equipped with the new Adobe PDF Print Engine, this next generation of PDF native RIP offers even greater reliability, consistency and predictability from application to output and supports the latest transparency effects.

Food safe toners
The Xeikon 3000 Series use the new QA-I toner, which meets all the applicable FDA guidelines for indirect food contact under room temperature and less severe conditions as well as direct food contact for dry food substances containing no surface oil or fat under the same conditions. This was investigated by the internationally recognized and scientifically skilled Keller & Heckmann law firm, based on the very detailed composition of the Xeikon toner materials. Other printing technologies that involve UV-cured inks or solvent-based liquid inks do not always meet the FDA guidelines as they contain low molecular weight components that have a higher tendency to migrate through substrates or lead to set-off when the ink layer comes into contact with the inner side of the packaging material. QA-I toners also exhibit very high lightfastness, as confirmed by independent lab tests.

(1)See the separate press release on the Xeikon 3050 for complete details.