Features Digital Finishing Packaging Postpress
Xeikon launches Fusion Embellishment Unit

Xeikon has announced the launch of its new Fusion Embellishment Unit – Xeikon FEU. This new digital finisher offers label printers and converters maximum flexibility to meet the demands of brand owners and designers aiming 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. The Xeikon FEU will be commercially available in Europe and North America starting this month.

“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,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP marketing. “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.”

The FEU allows label printers with an existing portfolio of wine, premium beer, gourmet food, spirits and health & beauty labels to achieve easy and fast proofing of new designs and faster times to market. The equipment eliminates the need for tooling and allows for reduced setup times, allowing superior levels of creative quality finishing on smaller volumes of labels.

Using inkjet technology, any defined label area can receive spot UV varnish with or without raised 3D texture effects. For foiling applications, the digital label area can receive digitally controlled foil with or without raised 3D effects with limited complexity compared to analogue.

Xeikon’s FEU is a stand-alone solution, which allows it to embellish printed materials originating from different technologies. It is also able to pre-print foil onto substrates. Owners can also optionally equip Xeikon’s FEU with a semi rotational die cut unit so that it will deliver fully embellished and finished labels. Although it was designed for label applications, the FEU has the potential to address other applications over time.

“Xeikon’s long term goal is to offer its customers the broadest range of products which address the digital transformation of print manufacturing. Well established industry partners, like in this case MGI digital technologies, very often have proven products that integrate very well in this digitization process,” added Weymans. “With this latest addition to our portfolio, one of the most important benefits for our customers is the availability of integrated digital technologies – all provided and supported by supplier – which ensure maximum productivity throughout the manufacturing process. The combined provision of digital printing and digital embellishment will enable label printers to run high-end, short to medium sized jobs at substantially reduced costs with a shorter time to market.”