CS Labels installs third Xeikon press

UK label converter CS Labels, based in Willenhall, West Midlands, has installed its third Xeikon press. The latest purchase is a Xeikon 3000, which has replaced one of the company’s two Xeikon 330 digital label presses. The install comes just thirteen months after CS Labels purchased its last 330 machine, and less than two-and-a-half years since the company made its initial digital investment.

Simon Smith, managing director of CS Labels, said: ‘We have demonstrated consistent growth in digital label production since our initial investment, and this latest purchase helps to ensure that we are still at the forefront of production techniques. It also demonstrates our desire to continually invest in the very best label production equipment. The Xeikon 3000 images to a higher resolution at 1200 dots per inch and produces even more reliable, consistent color quality over a wider color gamut. Once again, it allows us to offer something more to our customers.’

Xeikon 3000 offers an increased imaging width of 322mm against the 307mm imaging width of the 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width.

‘Our business has changed shape significantly since our initial move into digital labels. We are now producing some 60 percent of our turnover through the Xeikon machines. Our flexo and screen printing equipment is still important to CS Labels and to our customers, but digital has certainly taken over as our main production system,’ said Smith.

Existing post press equipment at CS Labels is suitable for varnishing, laminating, cutting, slitting, matrix stripping and re-reeling the finished printed product. The company is due to install a second GM finishing unit in order to handle the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000. ‘We were able to run the two Xeikon 330s with one finishing system off-line, but it really was running at full capacity. There were times when it did cause us a bottleneck in production. With the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000 we definitely need two finishing systems,’ added Smith.

Greg Neesham, sales director for Punch Graphix UK, said: ‘CS Labels continues to demonstrate how a traditional label printing company can adapt to the digital world, and can continue to grow its business by purchasing the right equipment to suit the current market.’

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