UK converter installs country’s first Xeikon 3000

Hine Labels, of Rotherham, Yorkshire, has announced details of a decision to upgrade its existing Xeikon label press to a new Xeikon 3000 machine. The installation will be the first Xeikon 3000 digital label press in the UK, following its launch last September.

Bill Hine, managing director of Hine Labels, said: ‘Our original Xeikon 330, installed at the end of 2007, allowed us a good insight into the digital labels market, providing us with the opportunity to talk digital with our existing customers, and to work our way through the whole of the digital production cycle – which is, of course, quite different to our traditional flexographic business. The further enhancements in both image quality and production speed for the Xeikon 3000 meant that it was the next logical step for us.’

Xeikon 3000 produces images at 1200 dots per inch, with four bits per spot, and offers an increased imaging width of 322mm against the 307mm imaging width of the Xeikon 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width.

‘Our business comes from trade customers. They generally don’t have a preference with regard to the printing process that we use. What they want is high quality, color consistent labels in the shortest possible production time. We have to face the fact that run lengths are decreasing across many of our markets, and this is what tends to determine which print process we use for a given job,’ continued Hine.

‘We had no hesitation in returning to Xeikon for our latest digital label solution. In our opinion, the company’s products lead the market for label production, and we have been delighted with the service and support that we have received from Xeikon.’

The Xeikon 3000 web-based press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The 5-color engine provides for the four standard process colors plus a choice of spot color, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the ‘no label’ look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling a range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

‘Xeikon 3000 also offers an immediate upgrade path when digital volume requirements increase,’ added Bill Hine, referring to the ability to enhance the machines capabilities up to those of the Xeikon 3300 label press.

‘It has certainly enabled us to open new doors with existing customers. The ability to economically produce shorter runs has a strong appeal in many market sectors, and we have also become involved in a number of test marketing programs – an ideal task for digital production, as we can create any number of label variants within a short space of time.’

Hine Labels, in conjunction with Xeikon, expect to hold an open day featuring its new digital label press in during May 2009.

Pictured l-r: Ken Davis, director, Hine Labels; Bill Hine, managing director, Hine Labels; Greg Neesham, sales director, Punch Graphix UK

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