HP Indigo Widens Flex-Pack & Carton Digital Options
- Published: March 13, 2012, By Yolanda Simonsis
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL | The buildup for HP Indigo’s much awaited announcement of new product offerings to be shown at drupa on May 3—16 in Dusseldorf, Germany, is finally official. Today the firm announced a number of introductions along with significant upgrades to other already available sheet-fed and web-fed digital presses.
The 762-mm (30 in.) wide, web-fed HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press and the 750-mm (29.5 in.) wide, sheet-fed HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press are said to use the same market-leading, high-quality, versatile printing technology that top brands choose for label and packaging production on HP Indigo WS6000 series digital presses.
The new portfolio also features an HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press compatible with broader range of synthetic substrates, as well as HP Scitex FB7500 and FB7600 Industrial Presses that have a new white ink option for corrugated packaging.
HP Indigo 20000
Scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013, the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press is a roll-to-roll digital press designed primarily for flexible packaging. Previous to this announcement, PFFC is unaware of other digital offerings by any other manufacturers available at this expanded width for flex-pack applications.
The HP Indigo 20000 press's 762-mm (30 in.) media width and 1,100-mm (44 in.) repeat length is said to accommodate most flexible packaging format sizes. With up to 7-color printing, including white ink, and printing quality that reportedly matches gravure production, the press can meet stringent color and quality requirements. The HP Indigo 20000 runs at 27 linear metres (88.6 linear ft) in 5-color mode (full process color plus white) and at 45 linear metres/min (147.6 linear ft) when running in Enhanced Productivity Mode.
An in-line priming unit on the press helps to ensure compatibility with nearly any standard flexible packaging substrate from 10 to 250 microns thick. Materials printed on the press are compatible with dry lamination and comply with food packaging regulations when used with good manufacturing practices.
The press will feature an EskoArtwork print server and upstream prepress tools that integrate into the entire EskoArtwork system of production workflows for high quality and efficiency. Compatible third-party workflow solutions provide complementary capabilities such as web-to-print, management information systems services and printed content inspection/verification.
HP Indigo says it also supports customers wishing to set up dedicated production lines for short-run work with qualified comprehensive finishing options for the new press. HP reports that pouch-making equipment manufacturer Totani has joined the HP SmartStream Solutions Partner program and is developing finishing solutions for flexible packaging printed on the HP Indigo 20000.
HP Indigo 30000
The sheet-fed HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press offers a 750x530-mm (29.5x20.9-in.) format size, which is claimed compatible with existing offset printing presses used for mainstream folding carton applications. Scheduled for commercial availability in late 2013, the press is said to offer proven HP Indigo print quality with up to 7-color printing on carton stocks up to 600 microns thick. The press can run up to 4,600 sheets/hr in Enhanced Productivity Mode and 3,450 sheets/hr in regular 4-color process printing.
HP sources say that as a near-zero setup digital solution, the HP Indigo 30000 can help converters produce more short-run jobs per shift. The press comes with an in-line priming unit for compatibility with a wide range of media.
Like the HP Indigo 20000, the HP Indigo 30000 will feature an EskoArtwork print server and upstream prepress tools. Additional comprehensive production components, such as digital finishing solutions from HP SmartStream Solutions Partner program members, reportedly will help packaging printers reduce their turnaround times for folding carton work.
HP Indigo WS6600
Launched last September, the WS6600 Digital Press is increasingly being adopted to expand long-standing HP Indigo customers’ fleet size, says HP sources. Customers are taking advantage of an Enhanced Productivity Mode that boosts throughput by one-third (compared to HP Indigo WS4500 and WS6000 digital presses in 4-color mode). Those customers, says the company, also take advantage of the HP Indigo WS6600's optional, in-line priming (ILP) unit for printing on many of the standard, off-the-shelf media used on flexo and gravure presses.
Now available to improve this model’s capabilities is a new ILP040 primer for the press’s ILP unit from Michelman, a global developer of water-based barriers and coatings for flexible film packaging, paperboard, and corrugated cartons. The primer is said to extend the ILP’s media compatibility from paper-based substrates to synthetic media.
A new SecurePack System for HP Indigo WS6600 and HP Indigo WS4600 model presses also has been released, which provides a controlled and monitored environment for efficient production of pharmaceutical and security applications.
To hear more about HP Indigo’s drupa introductions, a free global webcast is planned for broadcast on March 14 at 11 A.M. EST. Register HERE.
