Xeikon has announced the introduction of a new high-productivity and highly automated dry toner press aimed specifically at volume label printing with the highest quality. The Xeikon LX3000 model, affectionately known as The LION, is being presented to the public for the first time at the Xeikon booth during Labelexpo Europe 2023.

Built for a web width of 330mm, the Xeikon LION LX3000 is a five-color dry toner press developed as the answer to customer demands for higher productivity and more cost-effective solutions for mass production of high-quality digital labels. Visitors to the trade show have the opportunity to experience its 42 m/min operation. This is a 40% speed increase from Xeikon’s current 30 m/min capability. Its automated, precise quality control ensures that the final product meets the highest standards without manual intervention.

The Xeikon LX3000 features Xeikon’s Cruise Control System, which utilizes advanced vision technology and artificial intelligence to continuously monitor and automatically adjust print production settings. Cruise Control checks, adjusts, and reports on five key settings to ensure precise color registration, print station densities, and consistency with the set color reference. as production quality is depending on external (environmnet, substrate, operator) and internal (print process) factors. If the quality does not meet customer expectations, an automatic notification is generated and printed alongside the print. This physical marking can drive next actions in the following steps of the manufacturing processes.  Additionally, it provides quantitative data for monitoring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), helping printers to optimize their production workflows even further.

According to Frank Jacobs, Senior Product Manager, the new Cruise Control System significantly enhances press efficiency and productivity, reducing waste and allowing operators to focus on higher-level tasks. “Brand owners have grown accustomed to the advantages of digital printing, including unmatched flexibility, great quality, and rapid delivery. Now, with the reliability of Xeikon’s toner technology, which comes with highly accurate variable repeat length, coupled with the LION’s powerful performance and Cruise Control for 100% perfect output, label printers can produce higher volumes of high-quality work much more cost-effectively.”

As an evolution of Xeikon’s market-leading toner technology, the LION LX3000 can print on a broad range of self-adhesive substrates without priming and does so using the most food-safe toners in the market today. The print quality also matches Xeikon’s established high-quality standards, boasting a resolution of 1200 dpi.

The high-end LION is configured with Xeikon’s new ECO toners, which have been formulated with >60% high-grade recycled PET for maximum sustainability. Free from fluorine, Bisphenol A (BPA), TPO and mineral oils, as well as being 100% vegan, ECO toners comply with restrictions around food safety and remain the most foodsafe digital technology, addressing consumers’ concerns about their health and animal welfare.

This innovation is further evidence that Xeikon is fully committed to digitizing print manufacturing always adapting to the changing demands of the market and the variable needs of its customers. Furthermore, by boosting the speed of its toner technology for labels, Xeikon is also elevating the breakeven point between digital and conventional printing, allowing customers to capitalize on profitable opportunities in this extremely competitive market.

“Xeikon continues to respond to the specific requirements of our customers, and we increasingly receive larger numbers of requests for more competitive solutions. The Xeikon LX3000 is the result of listening to that valuable feedback, especially from those of our customers who handle higher volumes. Having discussed the new press with some of them in more detail over the past few months, it is clear that this launch is a significant step in the right direction,” adds Jacobs. “We’re very excited about the impact the LION will have on the market and the value it will bring to our customers.”

“It is fantastic to finally return to Labelexpo in Brussels, particularly because Xeikon comes to the show with so many amazing new solutions, including the groundbreaking xeikon  LX3000. The introduction of this advanced label press represents an important milestone in our commitment to creating application-tuned solutions that provide our customers with a competitive edge. Xeikon’s mission is to continue on this path and make digital the first choice for all label printers,” comments Filip Weymans, Vice President Marketing, Xeikon.