At an open house later this month, GIDUE will introduce its latest combined offset/flexo press, the Xpannd 450. The event is scheduled for November 27 and 28, and will take place at the company’s headquarters in Turate, Italy.
 
The 450mm (17.7”) wide press lets converters use a wide range of substrates, from rough papers to shrinkable materials, according to the company. It also offers flexibility on the choice of the available technologies – offset, flexo, screen, gravure, hot stamping, and more. The Xpannd Hi-Offset system meets the BVDM (German Association for Printing) guidelines in terms of dot gain, color fading, slur and doubling, ghosting and streaking, and has obtained SID certification.
 
The press also features GIDUE web tension and temperature controls, along with a universal platform concept: modular printing stations for the interchange of different printing processes. The digital automation of the Xpannd 450, in combination with offset and multi-process, helps reduce waste and set-up times. Special attention is given to safety and to the ease of use through the multi-process Organizer (patent pending). The Organizer allows the handling and storage of the offset cassettes and of the multi-process heads and is positioned in front of the machine for its entire length. No load handling, no stress and no risks for the operator are involved.
 
“Despite the present recession times, GIDUE has decided to re-launch itself in a series of new R&D projects,” says Federico d’Annunzio, president. “I believe that the label industry is suffering a general crisis due to production over-capacity and lack of differentiation within label converters. The new Xpannd 450, with its uncommon width and its total flexibility, can be the answer for label printers who seek better profit performances for their companies and not simply for a turnover increase.”