HP Indigo | 71HP Indigo demonstrates V12 digital pressVisitors to HP Indigo’s VIP event in Israel were able to see the new V12 digital press in action printing at speeds up to 120m/min. Andy Thomas-Emans reportshen HP Indigo announced the V12 press two years ago there Wwas a huge buzz of excitement. The V12 uses a new press architecture to achieve print speeds up to 120m/min on a 340mm-wide web, replacing the LEP imaging system which has powered all HP Indigo label presses to date.The LEP imaging engine found in the 6k-series press transfers up to seven colors sequentially onto a sensitized semi-rotary drum imaged by a laser writing head. This allows speeds of 30m/min using four colors. The greater the number of colors, the slower the print speed. The new LEPx technology, by contrast, consists of six imaging engines which simultaneously deposit their own color separations onto a 6 meter-long blanket belt. The registered image is applied from the blanket belt to the substrate in one shot. VIP event visitors taking a tour of the HP Indigo technology campusEach separation is generated by an LEPx writing head consisting of an LED array, “Typical makeready for a 5-6 color fexo job is a photo imaging drum (PID) and two switchable HP Electroink sources. Six LEPx one hour with around 400m waste. With the imaging engines work simultaneously to apply each color separation and create a V12 makeready takes minutes with 90 percent complete image on the blanket belt. The V12 press incorporates a new design less waste”of photo imaging drum (PID), while the new LED writing heads consist of thousands represents a major step change in digital Flexible packaging visitof LEDs which compose an image as an printing. ‘Today fexo represents 95 percent Attendees at the VIP event visited electrostatic feld at 1,600 DPI resolution. of label print volume and digital just 5 digital fexible packaging converter An integrated in-line priming unit runs at percent. Out of that 5 percent, 65 percent DigiPack, owned by a senior manager full press speed. is HP Indigo and we are still seeing 12-15 from one of Israel’s biggest fexpack Up to six colors can be printed at full percent growth per year in print volume for groups. The company is using an HP press speed, requiring one rotation of the our presses. But we believe our customers 20000 press and Karlville thermal banket belt. If more than six colors are used can continue outgrowing the market if they laminator along with a Chinese the blanket requires a second rotation, print more using our technology.’pouch-making machine. halving the speed to 60m/min. Each color The demonstration on the V12 was a The small footprint of this whole station can switch between two different 4-color PS paper label job running at 120m/set-up and the medium-sized inks on the fy. min. Commented Mahal, ‘In practice 95 investment it represents have worked An alpha version of the V12 press was percent of jobs are CMYK, so will run at well for DigiPack, which has quickly originally to have been shown at drupa, but this speed with an additional white on clear built up a clientele of small to medium with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the flm. However, having the 7-12 color option brands in Israel. ‘These brands now global printing show calendar the recent does give great fexibility in the number of have all the advantages of unlimited VIP event held at the HP Indigo technology colors and in the order of separations. For changes to artwork, no minimum order, campus in Israel was the frst chance example if you want some colors doubled no tooling costs and greatly reduced converters and journalists had to see the or to change the order of the white from lead times,’ said Eli Mahal. ‘This helps press in action. frst to last down for reverse printing.’explains why all of HP Indigo’s digital The press can run a wide range of fexible packaging customers’ print Step change material thicknesses from 0.5 to 18pt. volume has more than doubled Eli Mahal, head of Labels & Packaging Currently only PS materials have been since 2019.’marketing at HP Indigo, said the V12 qualifed for the press, but other materials Apr - Jun 2022