HP shows new WS6600 features at Labelexpo Americas

HP Indigo is showing new features for its WS6600 digital press at Labelexpo Americas 2012, as well as its expanded portfolio of end-to-end options for label and packaging production.

The WS6600 digital press is shown with the Enhanced Productivity Mode and optional Inline Priming (ILP) unit for increased productivity and flexibility. New features include an additional primer for the press’s ILP Unit and SecurePack System that help expand the press’s range of applications.

With the ILP Unit, converters can run the same standard, non-treated media used in conventional production on the HP Indigo press with no offline substrate preparation. This capability streamlines mixed production environments and makes last-minute jobs faster and easier to deliver to customers.

Michelman has released a new primer for the press’s ILP unit. The Michem ILP040 primer extends the ILP’s media compatibility from paper-based substrates to synthetic media, allowing the WS6600 to support a broader range of applications and offer customers improved total cost of ownership. The ILP and the Michem ILP040 primer are backwards compatible with the HP Indigo WS6000 digital press.

HP is also demonstrating its new SecurePack System, a complete toolbox for automated production of pharmaceutical and security applications creating controlled and monitored environment to match the pharmaceutical production cGMP. The system is currently in beta testing and will be available for WS6000 and WS6600 users worldwide later this year.

The WS6600 also features an Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM) that increases press throughput by 33 percent, from 30 linear meters (98 linear feet) per minute in 4-color mode to 40 linear meters (131 linear feet), enabling faster delivery and print runs of almost any length.

The recently announced HP Indigo 20000 extends proven HP Indigo technology to a wider format, increasing the addressable market for digital package printing and expanding its cost and flexibility benefits to more applications. The roll-to-roll digital press is designed primarily for flexible packaging and is scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013.

With a 76.2 cm (30-inch) wide media width, up to 1.1 m (44-inch) repeat length and printing speed of 45 linear meters (147.6 linear feet) per minute in EPM, the HP Indigo 20000 adds digital capabilities to standard production lines and produces most flexible packaging applications. Converters benefit from gravure-matching print quality and up to 7-color printing, including white ink, to match brand colors and achieve superb color quality. An on-press Inline Priming Unit handles most standard flexible packaging materials from 10 to 250 microns thick.

HP Indigo also recently announced the 30000 digital press for folding carton production. Offering a 750 x 530-mm (29.5 x 20.9-inch) format size compatible with carton stocks up to 600 microns thick, the press can run 4,600 sheets per hour in EPM and 3,450 sheets per hour in four-color mode. The HP Indigo 30000 digital press is scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013.        

The company also announced three beta customers for the 762mm (30-inch) HP Indigo 20000 digital press, including the first in the United States. 

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