In 2017, in order to continue its forward progress, the company decided to commit to web-fed digital printing by enlarging its self-adhesive department with the addition of two digital printing presses. In 2019, ARGRAF extended its portfolio again with the acquisition of a Xeikon CX3 digital press, designed specifically for the production of self-adhesive labels.
Jesús Davalillo, ARGRAF’s Pre-Printing and Digital Printing Director, explains the reason for this decision. “After two years working with another digital technology (liquid toner), we decided to add a press with dry toner technology which, apart from offering certificates for food contact and security, allows us to extend our product portfolio and to continue delivery of quality service to our clients.” The choice was the Xeikon CX3.
The Xeikon CX3 digital label press is based on Xeikon’s Cheetah technology, printing at a maximum speed of 30m/min. Its fast printing speed for every type of material, without the need for pre-printing, along with its stability, reliability and minimal maintenance, make the Cheetah series, both 330 and 520mm widths, the ideal Xeikon units for operations with higher printing volumes. This digital press, with very high resolution of 1,200 x 3,600 dpi, offers additional advantages such as its use of dry toners that comply, amongst other things, with the regulations of the American FDA on food contact, its great precision and colour stability, and the ability to print white toner with high levels of opacity in a single pass.
“We are very pleased with the quality of Xeikon’s opaque white and, in general, the stability of the press, and also the low levels of maintenance required. Although we have only been working with it for seven months and it is a bit soon to make a final assessment, we have confidence that things will continue in this way, which allows us to achieve a maximum speed of 30 meters a minute for most materials, with only a few exceptions,” Davalillo said.