At Labelexpo Europe, Xeikon introduced the new Xeikon CX500 digital label press, the first press based on a new generation dry toner platform that is ready for Industry 4.0. For larger sized labels, labels requiring an opaque white or an extended color gamut, the Xeikon CX500 outperforms all high-quality digital label presses in terms of productivity, thanks to its web width of up to 520 mm (20.47″), full rotary printing technology and 30m/min (98ft/min) printing speed. The wide web Xeikon CX500 is part of Xeikon dry toner Cheetah Series serving the high-end self-adhesive label market, and it complements the narrow-web Xeikon CX3 which has been very successfully adopted since its introduction in 2015.

“With the launch of the Xeikon CX500, we are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to further development of dry toner technology for the print and packaging industries, ready for the future. It is the most productive digital label press in the high-quality class thanks to its combination of high speed and wider web. The ability to produce larger labels is particularly important with end-use applications such as labels for household products, pet food, decoration, etc.,” states Filip Weymans, VP global marketing, Xeikon. “At the same time, we continue to support the entry-level Xeikon 3000 Series dry toner label presses, which are complementary to our high-end Cheetah Series.”

Build for the future
Xeikon’s new generation dry toner platform has been designed around four key values that differentiate it in the marketplace, and sets a new milestone in the digital press landscape.

• Intuitive operator interactivity: the new operator interface features both interactivity and connectivity, making it extremely easy to use. It signals when operator intervention is required, allows ease of servicing for field engineers, includes a wiki database with online answers to support questions, and has a “Media Buddy” that guides operators with respect to substrate qualification. Operators can quickly define and implement optimal settings with this innovative Industry 4.0 man/machine interface
• Consistent top-notch quality: expansion of the development unit ensures consistent top-notch quality and uniformity across the wider web width at high speeds and high resolution (1200 dpi)
• Reliable best in class uptime: dry toner is a proven technology that has always been, and will remain, a very reliable technology. It uses no solvents or inks that can impact the performance as is the case with other technologies, and has less impact on the production environment. In addition, it features longer lasting components and ensures efficiency for both operators and service technicians
• Unbeatable productivity: enhancements in the developing unit, the fuser system, material conditioning for more capacity, and much more in the development of this brand-new platform, make it the most productive digital label press in the high-quality class

Just like the Xeikon CX3, the Xeikon CX500 runs on Cheetah toner, which is based on Xeikon’s award-winning ICE technology and is designed specifically to cope with the higher speed. It ensures a reliable and proven printing process operating at 1200 dpi, that meets FDA regulations for food contact and allows to print on standard label materials without the need pre-treatment, including direct thermal papers, BoPP, PE and Co-Extruded films. As with all Xeikon presses, the Xeikon CX500 is driven by the Xeikon X-800 digital front-end which is unmatched in enabling consistent print quality in combination with industry-leading productivity for label production. The Xeikon CX500 continues the Xeikon tradition, built on nearly 25 years of experience in digital printing, of developing presses and workflow solutions that deliver high quality and exceptional uptime.

“This introduction extends the Xeikon dry toner digital label production portfolio from the entry-level Xeikon 3000 Series presses through to the high-end Xeikon Cheetah Series which includes the Xeikon CX3 and the Xeikon CX500. This places digital label printing within reach of label converters of all sizes. We are looking forward to hearing what visitors to our stand have to say about this expanded portfolio, and how it will help them in their decision process as they add or extend digital label printing capabilities,” concludes Weymans.

The new Xeikon CX500 is demonstrated for the first time at Labelexpo Europe on Xeikon’s stand in Hall 5, and will be commercially available as of 2018.