Xeikon announces REX program for entry level digital market

The program will offer a range of remanufactured Xeikon presses

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Xeikon has announced the launch of its REX program supporting printers looking for entry-level, affordable digital production solutions for shorter runs, just-in-time production, and customization.

The REX program will offer a range of remanufactured Xeikon presses providing an attractive and affordable option for printers and converters looking to expand their business with digital applications.

“Xeikon has been offering digital presses into the market for more than 30 years. But often, our customers’ digital business runs faster than their press and after a few years, they already need to re-invest in a faster model. The returned press still has a long lifetime ahead so with our REX program we are remanufacturing these older presses by running them through our factory, implementing all recent updates and upgrading the digital front end to the latest version of our workflow: X-800 6.0,” Jeroen Van Bauwel, director of product management states, said.

The presses that have gone through the REX program are then offered again into the market at a very attractive investment cost, Van Bauwel added. “Through the REX program, we are making our well-known digital presses accessible to converters new to digital, with limited investment budgets. REX stands for Remanufactured, Ecological: Xeikon quality,” he said.

Xeikon 3030 REX investment level below € 200.000

The Xeikon 3030 REX is an entry-level press for converters looking to take their first steps into digital immediately into the professional and industrial space. This is a full color digital press with the benefit of opaque white which gives access to health and beauty markets, premium beer and other end-use markets in the label space.

The 3030 REX uses Xeikon dry toner technology, certified for food safety, therefore giving access to the significant food label markets. The 1200 dpi print resolution ensures converters can also serve offset label market as well the flexo quality market. Xeikon’s digital front end, X-800 6.0, can be integrated with existing MIS systems, allow fully automated job preparation and handle complex variable data jobs with ease.

“Beside the benefits of our press technology, a Xeikon investment can be regarded as long term security. When necessary, our presses can be upgraded on-site for speed and width when the business evolves to that need. We believe the Xeikon 3030 REX will stimulate an even faster adoption of digital in the label market. Not forcing converters to make concessions about serving certain markets but addressing 90% of all end-use applications in the label industry. This will be an investment which can grow with their needs over time as their business evolves,” Van Bauwel said.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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