03.09.15
Xeikon has announced the first installation of the new Cheetah digital label press, just months after the label printing system was released. The recipient of the press is UK-based Mercian Labels, a label converter that was one of L&NW’s Companies to Watch in 2013.
Mercian Labels chose the digital press to facilitate its double-digit growth path. The Cheetah is 60% faster than any other press in Xeikon’s current press portfolio. Dedicated solely to the self-adhesive/pressure sensitive label market, the Cheetah can output high quality labels at 98 feet per minute (30 m/min), thus making it the fastest five-color digital label press in the world, Xeikon says.
The press was installed in early February at Mercian Labels’ new factory in Staffordshire and runs alongside its existing Xeikon 3000 Series digital press. Mercian Labels also features hot foiling, flexo and inkjet technologies. “We have chosen to adopt the latest generation of Xeikon digital label printing technology on the back of above-average growth in the digital part of our business, where we have run out of production capacity,” says Adrian Steele, managing director of Mercian Labels. “Adding the Xeikon Cheetah will better position us for expected growth and we are confident [in] the capacity to be quickly filled.”
Prior to the investment, Mercian Labels explored other potential options available on the market. “We looked at competitive technologies from liquid toner to UV inkjet as well as the latest offers from Xeikon dry toner,” says Steele. “Every investment has to have an ROI. We like to sweat our assets, regardless of whether they are software or hardware. We are in the business of making money – not just labels. Everything has to earn its keep, and we are convinced that the Xeikon Cheetah will definitely do just that.”
“The advantages of the new press will be measurable in terms of speed and reduced running costs,” adds Steele. “As a result, we expect to take more market share from what is traditionally flexo territory as digital becomes more competitive on longer runs. What is compelling is that it will open up a larger share of the market for us. We will look closely at how digital can grasp even more jobs that used to be printed in flexo, thanks to the faster running speed and lower consumables cost. With increased capacity, the cost point also goes down. And with a genuinely different cost base to our competitors, we can improve competitiveness.”
The installation aids the company in keeping with its three-day lead times. “Our mantra is speed and service,” Steele says. “This means we must be very informed about and accurate with our pricing, so we can offer the benefits of the best of both digital and UV flexo technologies to our customers. As a full service label printer, we see both areas growing at a similar pace for different reasons; thus our strategy is to offer the best technology for every specific demand. Customers increasingly want to deal with one supplier for their custom packaging requirements, and not be forced to use multiple suppliers who only serve a narrow profile of work because they refuse to adopt the best of both digital and analog worlds, and in different product areas, such as cartons as well as labels. That is why we have already taken a small but significant step into digitally printed cartons, adding to our label business. This move has really connected with our customer base.”
Mercian Labels chose the digital press to facilitate its double-digit growth path. The Cheetah is 60% faster than any other press in Xeikon’s current press portfolio. Dedicated solely to the self-adhesive/pressure sensitive label market, the Cheetah can output high quality labels at 98 feet per minute (30 m/min), thus making it the fastest five-color digital label press in the world, Xeikon says.
The press was installed in early February at Mercian Labels’ new factory in Staffordshire and runs alongside its existing Xeikon 3000 Series digital press. Mercian Labels also features hot foiling, flexo and inkjet technologies. “We have chosen to adopt the latest generation of Xeikon digital label printing technology on the back of above-average growth in the digital part of our business, where we have run out of production capacity,” says Adrian Steele, managing director of Mercian Labels. “Adding the Xeikon Cheetah will better position us for expected growth and we are confident [in] the capacity to be quickly filled.”
Prior to the investment, Mercian Labels explored other potential options available on the market. “We looked at competitive technologies from liquid toner to UV inkjet as well as the latest offers from Xeikon dry toner,” says Steele. “Every investment has to have an ROI. We like to sweat our assets, regardless of whether they are software or hardware. We are in the business of making money – not just labels. Everything has to earn its keep, and we are convinced that the Xeikon Cheetah will definitely do just that.”
“The advantages of the new press will be measurable in terms of speed and reduced running costs,” adds Steele. “As a result, we expect to take more market share from what is traditionally flexo territory as digital becomes more competitive on longer runs. What is compelling is that it will open up a larger share of the market for us. We will look closely at how digital can grasp even more jobs that used to be printed in flexo, thanks to the faster running speed and lower consumables cost. With increased capacity, the cost point also goes down. And with a genuinely different cost base to our competitors, we can improve competitiveness.”
The installation aids the company in keeping with its three-day lead times. “Our mantra is speed and service,” Steele says. “This means we must be very informed about and accurate with our pricing, so we can offer the benefits of the best of both digital and UV flexo technologies to our customers. As a full service label printer, we see both areas growing at a similar pace for different reasons; thus our strategy is to offer the best technology for every specific demand. Customers increasingly want to deal with one supplier for their custom packaging requirements, and not be forced to use multiple suppliers who only serve a narrow profile of work because they refuse to adopt the best of both digital and analog worlds, and in different product areas, such as cartons as well as labels. That is why we have already taken a small but significant step into digitally printed cartons, adding to our label business. This move has really connected with our customer base.”