Xeikon (Lier, Belgium) has announced the launch of its new Fusion Embellishment Unit – Xeikon FEU. This latest addition to the OEM’s broad portfolio of digital equipment for label production, offers label printers and converters maximum flexibility “to meet the demands of brand owners and designers striving to achieve high end, eye catching, unique, entertaining and creative labels.” With complete digital finishing and embellishment capabilities, Xeikon’s FEU is based on MGI technology and provides UV spot varnish, tactile varnish, foiling, 3D textures and holograms across a wide range of substrates including clear on clear, common BOPP and paper facestock up to natural structured papers.
“In a world of ever-evolving consumerism, we are seeing significant and ongoing changes in behavioural patterns,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP of Marketing. “Consumers are more discerning and brand owners are demanding more from their designers and printers. In packaging and retail, there is increasing pressure for creative innovation and higher levels of productivity. To that end, Xeikon is first and foremost addressing the needs of its customers. We continue to adapt to current trends and with the launch of the Xeikon FEU we are offering our customers maximum opportunities. The workflow integration built around our X-800 Vectorizer will ultimately provide our customers with all they need to effectively move towards total digital label print manufacturing.”
Using Xeikon’s FEU, label printers, particularly with an existing portfolio of wine, premium beer, gourmet food, spirits and health and beauty labels, will be able to achieve easy and fast proofing of new designs and faster times to market. With no need for tooling and reduced set-up times, this economical solution “offers superior levels of creative quality finishing on smaller volumes of labels.” Using inkjet technology, any defined label area can automatically receive spot-UV varnish with or without raised 3D texture effects. Similarly, for foiling applications, the digital label area can receive digitally controlled foil with or without raised 3D effects with limited complexity compared to analogue printing.
Xeikon’s FEU is also a standalone solution that can embellish printed materials originating from different technologies. It’s able to pre-print foil onto substrates, thus meeting many new brand-owner needs for today’s modern label designs. Optionally, Xeikon’s FEU can be equipped with a semi-rotational die-cut unit that will deliver fully embellished and finished labels. While Xeikon’s focus at present is on label applications, the new FEU has the potential to address other applications over time, said Xeikon.
Xeikon launches Fusion Embellishment Unit
