Xeikon, a division of Flint Group, in its earliest incarnations was one of the inventors of digital color printing in 1993, when it presented at IPEX 1993 a web-fed digital press known as the Agfa Chromapress. A long-standing leader and innovator in digital printing technology, grounded in the principles of quality, flexibility and sustainability, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital color presses for label and packaging applications, document printing and commercial printing. These presses utilize LED array based electrophotography, open workflow software and application-specific toners.
As an OEM supplier, Xeikon also designs and produces plate makers for newspaper printing applications. In addition, Xeikon manufactures the basysPrint computer-to-conventional plate (CtCP) solutions for the commercial offset printing market. For the flexographic market, Xeikon offers digital platemaking systems under the ThermoFlexX brand name. ThermoFlexX systems provide high-resolution plate exposure combined with unique plate handling, flexibility and unmatched productivity.
In 2015, Xeikon joined the Flint Group to create a new ‘Digital Printing Solutions’ division for the leading global print consumables and solution provider to the packaging and print media industries. Flint Group develops and manufactures an extensive portfolio of printing consumables. These include a vast range of conventional and energy-curable inks and coatings, pressroom chemicals, printing plates and equipment, printing blankets and sleeves, and pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Flint Group employs some 7,900 people. On a worldwide basis, the company is the number one or number two supplier in every major market segment it serves.
While it is not clear yet which press Xeikon will show at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2019, it usually shows digital presses that are capable of handling a variety of substrates and applications. These generally include very heavy substrates that can be used for packaging and which incorporate unique anti-counterfeiting techniques as well as track and trace using variable printing techniques.