07.21.15
Digital press manufacturer Xeikon has announced the installation of its first digital label press in Northern Ireland with a Xeikon 3030 label press now in place at JH Label Solutions, Lurgan.
JH Label Solutions (James Hamilton Group) was established almost seven years ago in order to produce high quality and fast turnaround labels for the food packaging industry, in which it was already involved. “Clear plastic packaging suddenly got very popular in the FMCG sector and that also needed labeling,” says Keith Hamilton, managing director of JH Label Solutions. “We relied on outsourcing labels prior, but eventually realized that there was a need in the market for a competitive, innovative, flexible with speed-to-market label printer. It was decided that we should buy our own UV flexographic press – we ended up with three in a very short time – Two eight-color and one four-color Nilpeter machines, as demand for our label output grew rapidly and as beverage customers also wanted our high quality and speed-to-market labels.
“Digital is already beginning to follow a similar path,” Hamilton says. “We recognized the trend in shorter run-lengths, multiple label types, and ever-tighter production deadlines. We had to react to our market and our customers’ market demands if we were to still lead the way in innovation, quality and speed. Label printing technology is moving very quickly and we needed to be at the forefront of it. We went to the Xeikon Café Exhibition towards the end of 2014, and they were able to show us the latest in digital printing technology.”
JH Label Solutions’ Xeikon 3030 digital label press and offline Xeikon Dcoat finishing unit are now in production at the company’s Lurgan plant and Hamilton is surprised at how fast everything is happening. “The press was only up-and-running at the beginning of February and already word is getting around and the machine is very busy,” he says.
The Xeikon 3030 is the entry-level press of the Xeikon 3000 Series, and is ideal for converters looking to make their first move into digital production. In addition to prime labels, the press is also suitable for producing promotional and transfer applications. The Xeikon 3030 has a variable web width ranging from 7.9" up to 13". It runs at a top speed of 31.5 fpm and can handle production volumes of up to 190 square meters/hour. The Xeikon 3030 can be field-upgraded to one of the higher speed and/or wider press models of the Xeikon 3000 Series.
JH Label Solutions (James Hamilton Group) was established almost seven years ago in order to produce high quality and fast turnaround labels for the food packaging industry, in which it was already involved. “Clear plastic packaging suddenly got very popular in the FMCG sector and that also needed labeling,” says Keith Hamilton, managing director of JH Label Solutions. “We relied on outsourcing labels prior, but eventually realized that there was a need in the market for a competitive, innovative, flexible with speed-to-market label printer. It was decided that we should buy our own UV flexographic press – we ended up with three in a very short time – Two eight-color and one four-color Nilpeter machines, as demand for our label output grew rapidly and as beverage customers also wanted our high quality and speed-to-market labels.
“Digital is already beginning to follow a similar path,” Hamilton says. “We recognized the trend in shorter run-lengths, multiple label types, and ever-tighter production deadlines. We had to react to our market and our customers’ market demands if we were to still lead the way in innovation, quality and speed. Label printing technology is moving very quickly and we needed to be at the forefront of it. We went to the Xeikon Café Exhibition towards the end of 2014, and they were able to show us the latest in digital printing technology.”
JH Label Solutions’ Xeikon 3030 digital label press and offline Xeikon Dcoat finishing unit are now in production at the company’s Lurgan plant and Hamilton is surprised at how fast everything is happening. “The press was only up-and-running at the beginning of February and already word is getting around and the machine is very busy,” he says.
The Xeikon 3030 is the entry-level press of the Xeikon 3000 Series, and is ideal for converters looking to make their first move into digital production. In addition to prime labels, the press is also suitable for producing promotional and transfer applications. The Xeikon 3030 has a variable web width ranging from 7.9" up to 13". It runs at a top speed of 31.5 fpm and can handle production volumes of up to 190 square meters/hour. The Xeikon 3030 can be field-upgraded to one of the higher speed and/or wider press models of the Xeikon 3000 Series.