Labelexpo Americas saw Xeikon announce the introduction of its new Cheetah five colour digital press boasting a speed of 30 m/min, which 60% faster than any other model in its current press portfolio.
The new digital press is dedicated solely to self-adhesive/pressure-sensitive label production and was shown running live to visitors at the show in Chicago. It will be available commercially during 2015.
‘This increase in speed represents a huge leap forward in digital press technology. It will enable Xeikon label printers and converters to embark on a new era of productivity and efficiency, with much greater flexibility to react to their clients’ requests for shorter time-to-market,’ said Patrick Van Baelen, VP-WW marketing. ‘The Cheetah narrows the gap between digital printing and traditional flexo/offset methods for producing labels. In addition, the increase in speed also results in a lower total production cost.’
The Cheetah can handle substrate widths of up to 13 inches (330 mm) with a true print resolution of 1200 x 3600 dpi. It utilises full rotary printing where the press speeds are independent of the number of colours used and/or the repeat length of the job. It offers the same benefits of the other presses in the Xeikon 3000 Series, including the use of dry toners that meet FDA regulations for food contact and the ability to print opaque white toner in one pass.
In addition to the standard CMYK+W, the fifth station can be used to print gamut expansion colours or security toner. The new press also includes automatic inline register and density controls. The imaging width is up to 12.7 inches (322 mm) while the repeat length is variable from 0-180 ft (0-55 m). Media weights range from 40 gsm to 350 gsm.
