Xeikon  appointments 
With a new direct presence in Australia and a fleet of powerful printing solutions behind it, Xeikon is preparing for its assault on the Australian printing landscape, writes David Catt. The name Xeikon is a familiar name in the global printing industry. Ten years ago Xeikon demonstrated its first digital colour presses, with the DCP-1 unveiled to the public at the Ipex trade fair in Birmingham, UK. In 1993, digital colour printing, especially at the quality and speed that Xeikon was offering, was still in its infancy, and the groundbreaking shift in the production printing dynamic on show drew large crowds of interested printers. The introduction, by the two original pioneers of this new printing technique, alerted the industry to the possibilities offered by this technology and has since spawned many variations across a wide number of manufacturers. More and more companies are using digital colour printing for an increasing number of applications, and it is more than fair to say that digital colour printing has won itself a permanent place in the industry, boasting the strongest year on year growth within the graphics sector.

Xeikon considers itself as having played a significant part in developing this market. Following the initial launch, it has strived, with much success, to remain at the peak of developments within digital printing. Currently it has the only high volume 50cm wide digital press, and is alone in producing One-Pass-Duplex™ printing. Xeikon offers a powerful front-end range with professional workflow solutions to back it up, and says it is able to provide the most competitive price per printed page. It is also differentiated from many by the fact that it is a web-fed digital colour press as opposed to the more conventional cut sheet method. These major benefits represent the "Xeikon difference" when compared with its competitors, and therefore is able to produce more profit for its customers says the company.

In recent months, its portfolio of patents and the Xeikon team’s wide experience has resulted in such significant innovations as OmniVac, Q-Pack, IntelliStream 3.6 and more. Each of these innovations are designed to contribute to higher productivity, maximum flexibility, higher quality and lower costs.

Direct to Australia
As the product portfolio goes from strength to strength, Xeikon’s global presence also continues to grow in leaps and bounds, with the company having set up direct representation for Australia and New Zealand after the choice was made that its distribution relationship with MAN Roland and Intergrafica Print & Pack would not be renewed. This new organisation is a further step in Xeikon’s development to a stronger direct distribution model in its key countries and therefore is a strong indication of its commitment to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

The decision to create a direct sales and service infrastructure was reached, based on the needs of the current Xeikon digital press owners and confidence in the future potential of the markets.

The new Xeikon Australia operation is based in Melbourne and headed by Warren Davey, with service engineer, Ewan Howieson. Both persons are senior Xeikon experts and have been associated with Xeikon products since the machines were first released in Australia in 1995.

Warren Davey of Xeikon Australia and New Zealand says, "This new Xeikon sales and service organisation is very positive for the graphic arts industry in Australia and New Zealand. Printers who want to exploit the benefits of production digital colour printing now have direct access to the best choice solution in terms of productivity, flexibility, quality and cost. We are the only organisation dedicated purely to high volume digital printing solutions. In other words we do nothing but Xeikon."

According to Davey, there are two aspects of Xeikon’s printing solutions that really make it stand out from its competitors, and they are found in the front-end and in the DCP machine itself.

"Xeikon is the only high volume digital printing solution that is not limited to a maximum of A3. Our DCP-500D machine can print jobs that are above A3 in size and up to an A2 size poster. The machines can print a banner up to 11.8 meters long without a repeat. We also have the only machine that prints both sides of a sheet in one pass," says Davey.

"Also, we recently released the IntelliStream 3.6 front-end. This technology really enables us to stand out from amongst the rest."

IntelliStream
The Xeikon IntelliStream Digital Front End (DFE) works with IntelliPac digital plate files enabling a clear separation of job design and creation from job production by means of off-line iRIPs. What’s more, the most sophisticated personalisation applications can be handled from any authoring or customised tool that generates the PPML-standard. In short, the smart approach of IntelliStream ensures the highest level of productivity and quality for all short-run, on-demand personalised printing and variable printing applications.

With the Xeikon IntelliStream Colour DFE the throughput of the prepress department can be optimised to maximum press occupation. All the operator has to do is download the digital plate file - IntelliPac - on the IntelliStream, load the substrate and deliver output of impeccable quality. The IntelliPac digital plate is generated with a patented mix of compression algorithms that guarantee a compression ratio of at least 10:1. As IntelliPac files are compact, all-containing and press/time-independent they can easily be archived or distributed for remote printing. The ability to preview the IntelliPac file helps proofing documents prior to printing and managing archived documents.

The Xeikon IntelliStream Colour DFE is optimised for variable data printing. Using the PPML variable data standard, IntelliStream makes it easy and accessible to a wide range of users and provides a flexible solution to this important, profitable digital printing application.

The software-based architecture of Xeikon IntelliStream Colour ensures that the printer benefits from the latest advances in digital printing and adapts quickly to future functionalities. IntelliStream makes variable data accessible to a wide range of users and provides a flexible solution to this printing application. Jobs are easier to store, transport, and access, which enhances distribute and print, since files can be stored on any standard storage device. It also streamlines on-demand printing, as archived files can be run in real-time for reprinting. What’s more, an IntelliPac file can be printed on any IntelliStream system, incorporating the current calibration values to maintain quality, regardless of time, place, or print device. Typical applications handled by the Xeikon IntelliStream Colour DFE include step and repeat capabilities, long documents and books, on-demand printing, and the most complex jobs involving variable data like personalised printing of catalogues, cards, datasheets, mailings, and advertisements.

One-Pass-Duplex™
At the heart of the DCP press family is the company’s proprietary One-Pass-Duplex™ technology. According to Xeikon, the One-Pass-Duplex™ principle is one of the key technology concepts that makes the Xeikon DCP engines so successful. This technology makes it possible to print on both sides of the substrate in one single pass. Conventional liquid technologies like offset need drying time before the substrate can be turned and printed on the back. No other toner-based printer or press has the capability to print on both sides of the substrate before fusing. Competitive products first need to turn the paper or substrate before they can print on the other side, using the same imaging module(s). The advantages of the One-Pass-Duplex™ concept include speed and productivity, excellent front-to-back registration and data integrity. This is of fundamental importance for statement and personalised mailing applications or security printing. The importance of this technology has been recognised by the company from the beginning and is protected with a set of patents.

The major points that make up the One-Pass-Duplex™ solution in the DCP product line are:
o The way the different printing stations are combined to form a vertical print tower, defining the architecture of the press
o The very specific principle of perfect registration, made possible by the paper driving the imaging drums and not the other way round
o The top roll concept, which turns the paper while still securing the unfused image
o The duplexing concept, an ingenious method of controlling electrostatic charges, so that toner particles stay on the paper instead of being removed when the substrate passes the different printing stations.

A larger family of solutions
In addition to the DCP-500D described above, there is single-sided DCP-500S especially suited for applications in the packaging industry. Both engines have a 320 mm version, DCP-320D and DCP-320S, the latter being able to accommodate typical label applications on transparent or metallic surfaces thanks to the ability of printing a fifth colour white.

Couldn’t be happier
All this has added up to be the winning formula for Michael Tan and his team at Sydney-based WYSIWYG Design. After installing the DCP-50 in 1999, the company has gradually shifted and built its work around the press, which, says Tan, has never let them down.

"It is certainly one press we would never give back. We love it. It has been a very stable machine in terms of new digital print technology, and it has been a lot less of a hassle than we would have expected from such a new technology, so that is a big plus," says Tan.

"We love its large size format, and the way it holds large panels of colours well, but basically its all about the format for us. It presents a whole new business proposition for us."

The DCP-50 is an eight colour 4/4 CMYK machine with a maximum sheet size of 500mm wide by 11.8 metres long. It prints both sides of a job simultaneously ensuring accurate front to back registration. It has a paper weight range of 60gsm to 250gsm and can use paper, synthetic and label stocks.

WYSIWYG’s machine speed is 3000 double sided (duplex) A4 sheets per hour which equates to 9.6 metres per minute or 100 A4 sheets per minute. The latest version of this press, the DCP-500, differs most notably in its ability to print 3900 A4 sheets per hour.

WYSIWYG’s machine may currently be the only one of its kind currently in Australia, but if Davey and his team have its way, it will soon not be alone in an industry that is quickly embracing the benefits and opportunities that digital printing offers.






For more information on Xeikon and these and other solutions, please visit the company’s website at www.xeikon.com or call Warren Davey on +61 (0)97.