PRESSIdeas June 2020 issue

digital
printing
Digitizing Print: The latest launches by
leading players of the Technology
“An update on the latest machines launched in the past six months by leading global digital printing
machinery manufacturers.” - Jacob George
Despite it being a Covid infested world, the advances
made by the digital printing machinery manufacturers
have been interesting in the last six months. In fact
the industry pundits had predicted 2020 to be an
eventful year considering it was the Drupa year and
many launches were expected as well.
We try to look at the various options that have been
made available by different manufacturers during the
first 6 months of 2020.
Kodak and Uteco have
also returned to the
market through the latest
technology updates and
upgrades in the flexible
packaging market. They
have further strengthened
their partnership and
launched the first flexible
packaging printing
machine Sapphire Evo
W that uses Ultrastream
continuous inkjet
technology.
Key Notes :
> Digital Printing
innovations brave the
COVID holdup. Xeikon
CX300 replaces
CX3; HP Indigo
upgrades 6K and
8K; Canon upgrades
LabelStream 4000
series.
> Screen PacJet FL830
is a brand new
technology scheduled
to be released around
March 2021.
> Miyakoshi develops
MJP30AXF; Memjet’s
DuraFlex combines
speed, simplicity,
affordability &
durability.
Take Xeikon’s new CX300 as an example. It replaces
the CX3 and provides the option to upgrade to the
CX500. The CX300 is a 330mm format label printing
machine and a single shift operation can provide
over 50,000 square meters of production capacity
per month. The full-colour printing press is equipped
with five printing units, including CMYK and singlechannel
opaque white. Based on the company’s
Cheetah 2.0 technology, and other features include:
printing speed up to 30m/min; printing format 220-
512mm; LED imaging head running at 1200x3600dpi,
and providing image quality equivalent to offset and
gravure printing, allows the operator to evaluate the
status of the printing press remotely in addition to
other features.
HP Indigo 6K and 8K have also been updated
– upgrading the existing digital label printing
technology. The new products launched in the HP
Indigo stable are 6900 and 8000 models. The HP
Indigo 6K digital printing press has been carefully
designed to provide more applications, including
high opacity white for shrink sleeves, and new brands
including silver, fluorescent, invisible red and green
for brand protection applications Inks, as well as
brand-new glazing functions from industry partners
that provide enhanced mechanical durability and
improved performance, improve the characteristics
of labels produced using the “package-ready” label
ecosystem. The new and improved 8000 digital
presses have added similar features, including
increased productivity, reduced waste, and easier
conversion between media types and jobs.
Canon has also upgraded its LabelStream 4000
series, adding optional orange channels, high-opacity
white inks similar to screens, and enhanced usability
to improve production efficiency. The new white ink
channel can achieve an opacity of up to 80% at a
speed of 36m/min in a single pass. The LabelStream
16 June 2020