09.10.08
A sibling to the popular Hewlett Packard Indigo ws4500 digital label press made its debut at Labelexpo. The WS6000 was introduced as a high-end super-industrial label press, with productivity that can be twice as high as the 4500. “The ws4500 continues to be the workhorse of our portfolio,” said Alon Bar-Shany, VP and GM of HP’s Indigo division. “The 6000 is the high-end industrial machine. It will be available in early 2009."
The new press can print in four colors at 100 feet per minute, and twice that speed printing two colors. The repeat length of 39” is more than twice the 18” of the 4500. The ink containers are larger, Bar-Shany said, and the footprint is the same as the 4500. Several internal improvements have been made as well.
Bar-Shany said that global label market growth is 4 percent, as is packaging growth. But digital print’s portion of that growth is 45 percent, and 59 percent of the packaging growth. In 2003 there were under 200 Indigo industrial presses in use; last year there were more than 600. HP predicts that the number for 2008 will top 1,000.
The new press can print in four colors at 100 feet per minute, and twice that speed printing two colors. The repeat length of 39” is more than twice the 18” of the 4500. The ink containers are larger, Bar-Shany said, and the footprint is the same as the 4500. Several internal improvements have been made as well.
Bar-Shany said that global label market growth is 4 percent, as is packaging growth. But digital print’s portion of that growth is 45 percent, and 59 percent of the packaging growth. In 2003 there were under 200 Indigo industrial presses in use; last year there were more than 600. HP predicts that the number for 2008 will top 1,000.