112 | Labelexpo Americas 2022 / Press Technologywater-based inks on uncoated cartonboard and corrugated stock up to 51 x 63in (1,300 x 1,600mm). The PKG-1300 can be supplied as a fully automated line including an auto feeder and stacker. The launch date is Q1 2023. TONER DEVELOPMENTSWith so much focus on inkjet, it is easy to overlook the advances being made in dry toner technology. Xeikon launched a swathe of new products which will revolutionize what can be achieved with its Cheetah-series toner presses.First up is a new dry toner technology the company calls Titon. Like Xeikon’s ICE toner, Titon is qualifed for direct and indirect food contact, but in addition incorporates protective layers, which Colordyne introduces a 3800 Series water-based provide heat, sunlight, water, scratch and scuff resistance. inkjet module at Labelexpo Americas 2022As well as durable food-safe labels, a key market Xeikon sees for Titon is paper-based fexible packaging - stand-up pouches in “WHILE THERE WERE NO FLEXO PRESSES AT particular - now being specifed by many brands as an alternative LABELEXPO AMERICAS 2022, THERE WAS to plastics-based constructions. This would allow paper to be used as a mono-material without a plastic or aluminum barrier. Its high STILL A LOT OF INTEREST FROM VISITORS level of mechanical resistance would mean no requirement for a IN FINDING OUT ABOUT NEW FLEXO protective varnish or laminate, and chemical resistance would make DEVELOPMENTS, AND FLEXO PRESSES it ideal for products like wet wipes. Titon can be readily removed from paper products during the recycling process. WERE ACTUALLY SOLD AT THE EVENT”Titon toner will not run on the current generation of Cheetah presses, so we will need to wait for the next generation of the event. Titon-enabled press technology. Mark Andy, one of the founders of the narrow web fexographic Xeikon also unveiled new metallic silver and gold toners to run industry, was promoting the theme of digital transformation, on the ffth print station of its Cheetah presses, allowing converters presenting three narrow web hybrid presses for label production. to add metallic embellishments without the need for adding The show was the world premiere of the Mark Andy Digital Pro conventional processes like cold/hot foil on the converting line. Max press. Compared to previous Digital Pro models, the press is For adding tactile effects on labels for beer, beverage, food, and faster, has a lower cost to print, includes toner white, and can be health & beauty markets, Xeikon introduced its haptic printing upgraded with fexo and converting modules. The DPro Max press process, which helps converters make signifcant time savings by is based around the latest Konica Minolta AL400 print engine and avoiding any modifcations to the pre-press fles. offers a maximum speed with CMYK of up to 160 ft/min (49m/Konica Minolta continued a successful strategy of repurposing min). The press can be confgured with up to three fexo stations its commercial-market toner engine to the narrow web label before or after the digital engine. Cold foil and lamination stations sector, allowing Konica to take advantage of economies of scale in can be added at any time. manufacturing, distribution and support. For printing on the back of the liner, the press can be equipped The 13in-wide AccurioLabel 400 is the latest in this press series, with a turn bar and upgraded with Mark Andy’s semi-rotary vertical adding a highly opaque white toner to the previous CMYK and die-cut unit. The toner white adds transparent and metalized upping press speed to 139ft/min (40m/min) in 4-colors at a print substrate capability without the need for a fexo station. resolution equivalent to 3,600x1,200 DPI. Running with the white This was also the frst trade show outing for Mark Andy’s Digital station drops the speed to 20m/min. The toner reservoir allows for Series iQ press. The press is built around a Domino N610i UV 3,000 meters of continuous printing, and the unwind can take rolls inkjet module integrated with Mark Andy’s Evolution Series press up to 800mm. The Intelligent Quality Optimizer (IQ-520) software platform. The Digital Series iQ can be confgured with up to seven enables real-time control of white toner opacity and color using an UV inkjet colors - CMYKOV+WW. Hybrid converting components inline spectrophotometer developed by Konica Minolta. include fexo print stations, semi-rotary die cutting, a rail system The AccurioLabel 400 is supplied with the AccurioPro Flux for web turn bars or cold-foiling unit, and inline slitting, as required. software package for the imposition and ganging of labels, which The press offers 600 x 600 DPI resolution at up to 70m/min (230ft/includes pre-fight and color management modules. A Kodak (Creo) min). Live demos included VDP printing on white gloss BOPP foil controller for high-volume VDP is also available. and a Kombucha label printed on chrome metalized PP foil. The press also includes as standard a sensor kit for registration The established Digital Series HD press was also on show to pre-printed media. A partnership with GM makes available the confgured with four fexo units, in-line varnish and die-cutting. DC330 Mini all-in-one compact label fnishing machine for either An important highlight was the launch of Mark Andy’s sMArt link in-line or near line operation. software, a real-time on-press data collection and press monitoring Also on the stand was the AccurioLabel 230 which put Konica system. sMArt link ties shop foor equipment together in one Minolta on the narrow web map, along with a GM DC330Mini analytical tool that is accessible from anywhere with an internet fnishing unit with hot foil, screen embellishment and optional hookup. It can be accessed through a cloud-based platform and is turret rewind. Konica says there have been more than 1,000 global suitable for new and existing Mark Andy presses, both fexo and AL230 installations since the company entered the narrow web digital/hybrids. Mark Andy says other manufacturers’ equipment market in 2016. can also be tied into the system. sMArt link can also be integrated into wider factory management systems.DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONWhile there were no fexo presses at Labelexpo Americas 2022, For in-depth information on the technology mentioned here, there was still a lot of interest from visitors in fnding out about visit www.labelsandlabeling.com new fexo developments, and fexo presses were actually sold at labelsandlabeling.com