Xeikon launches entry-level digital label system

Xeikon has unveiled a new label system targeted at businesses looking to enter the digital market.

The Label Discovery consists of a Xeikon 3030 web-fed digital label press and the manufacturer’s new entryDCoat, a digital converting line that can be used inline or offline with the Xeikon 3030.

The 3030 is a dry-toner printer suitable for producing labels for a wide range of applications using standard flexo materials. Its five-colour printing features CMYK and white or a special spot or gamut-extending colour.

The entryDCoat, meanwhile, is a compact converting unit which consists of a varnish, die-cut and rewind station.

To limit start-up and tooling costs, the die-cut unit uses semi-rotary die-cutting technology. Xeikon said this reduces costs by as much as 50% with no need to acquire special tools and no setup time as required with conventional die-cutting.

Xeikon corporate communications manager Danny Mertens said: “We have tried to position the Label Discovery to offer an entry-level type of solution for label printers that have not yet taken steps into digital and who probably don’t want to step in at the higher end of the market.”

The Label Discovery can be field upgraded in terms of productivity as the business grows, Mertens said, with the option to upgrade the 3030 to a 3000 model. The entryDCoat line will also be available as a standalone machine to existing 3030 users.

Xeikon will show the Label Discovery at Labelexpo Americas in Rosemont, Illinois later this month and commercial availability will begin from the show. Pricing will start from $350,000 (£269,000), dependent on specification.