Ipex 2010 proves resounding
success for Punch Graphix

Av Ratanaporn B. Jakobsen

Ipex 2010 proved to be the perfect platform for Punch Graphix to demonstrate its latest technological innovations to printing professionals from all around the world. There was a significant interest in both the Xeikon digital presses and basysPrint UV Setter systems and the company closed significant investments with customers worldwide.  

"This edition of Ipex has been extremely successful for Punch Graphix with all pre-defined targets being exceeded," says Wim Maes, CEO of Punch Graphix. "This success proves that the printing industry believes in the quality and stability of Xeikon digital presses. Our strategy to focus on the industrial markets - mainly the label and packaging market and document printing market with transpromotional and direct mailing - proves its value. In particular, we are very satisfied with the lead generation from territories where previously it had been difficult to establish our brand."

Great interest in digital innovation solutions
The show marked the successful launch of the Xeikon 3500, the latest member of the Xeikon digital press family dedicated to the label industry. Capable of handling web widths of up to 512 mm and producing 570 square meters per hour, the Xeikon 3500 now enables cost-effective production of volumes beyond 4,000 linear meters using digital technology; while at the same time providing label converters the opportunity to digitally address a wider range of applications.

The other members of the Xeikon 3000 family also drew a lot of interest at the show. Label convertors seeking speed were immediately drawn to the Xeikon 3300 which, like the 3500, has a top speed of 19.2 meters per minute. Other visitors who didn't require that sort of speed just yet - but who still wanted the same performance and robustness - went for the Xeikon 3000, its entry-level counterpart.

The upgraded Xeikon 8000 also attracted a lot of attention at the show. Xeikon's flagship Press was recently upgraded to deliver a top printing speed of 260 pages per minute enabling it to meet the most demanding high-volume transactional and transpromotional applications. Combined with its true 1200 dpi at 4 bits per spot print quality and a duty cycle of 10 million A4 pages per month, the Xeikon 8000 delivers an extremely powerful combination of speed, print quality and near-continuous uptime.

The superior image quality delivered across the full range of Xeikon presses was a central talking point at this year's show. While the hardware is a basis for this performance, it's Xeikon's continuous breakthroughs in dry toner technology which keeps their machines ahead of competing products. Visitors to the Xeikon stand were impressed with the benefits of Xiekon's next-generation Quadrupled Adapted toners. Label convertors were very excited about the QA-I toner, which has been developed specifically for their market. Food approved for indirect and direct contact with dry goods was continually cited as a real bonus for them, along with the toner's significant advances in image quality and light fastness. Visitors from the document and commercial printing markets found the increased colour gamut delivered by the QA-P toner to be a real benefit to their business - in addition to enabling the increased speed for the Xeikon 8000.

Leadership in CtP solutions for UV-sensitive printing plates
The introduction of the new basysPrint 857 flatbed UV-Setter was also a major attraction at this year's show. Visitors particularly liked its ability to expose eight pages (up to format class 3b) and being capable of handling all plate formats up to a maximum of 1,150mm x 940mm (45" x 37"). This makes the UV Setter Series 857 the perfect solution for many printers working in the commercial, packaging or book printing markets.

"basysPrint had a great show at Ipex," comments Maes. "The basysPrint systems combine the benefits of CtP with the unique process and economic advantages of conventional UV technology. The significant interest shown at the show confirms the uptake in the usage of conventional printing plates. We're pleased to see basysPrint plays an important role in this growing market. Following the extremely positive feedback from visitors to the stand and the exceptional sales results, we have decided to expand our basysPrint production capacity in response to the increasing demand for our UV plate setters."