Xeikon’s Panther technology, introduced in 2017, is based on UV inkjet and is the most cost-effective technology to address specific end-use markets, focused on labels across industries such as chemical, durable, cosmetic and premium beer labels. All these applications benefit from certain durability such as scratch, scuff and rub resistance, as well as a glossy tactile look and feel. UV inks tackle all these requirements.
The company has now announced its PantherCure LED series, a new family of inks for use with Panther technology. The PantherCure LED inks come with new waveforms, software and optimised screening. These deliver a long list of benefits:
- Wider application range: LED curing generates less heat exposed to the substrate. More heat-sensitive substrates can be used with a water-based cool-down process.
- A broader colour gamut enabled to address more brand colours.
- Increased image quality by introducing a new screening, waveform and ink, delivering consistent UV curing.
- More sustainable option – eliminates waste of mercury bulbs.
- Improves the Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE):
- LED provides a ten-times longer lifetime and reduces maintenance. Lamp replacement every 2,000 hours for a mercury lamp versus 20,000 hours for LED
- Eliminating downtime related to starts-and-stops due to warming-up and cooling-down of the mercury bulb
- LED ink curing requires less energy for the same speed thereby decreasing the overall energy consumption, which has a direct impact on the total operating costs.
- The in-depth curing of LED light results in better ink-to-substrate adhesion.
- Combining these new elements (ink, screening, waveforms, software) reduces ink consumption by 30% on average, depending on the content of the job.
“We already supply LED UV-inks to the Xeikon Jetrion base, therefore adding UV-LED inks was the next logical step for our Panther technology,” explains Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP for Worldwide Marketing. “Just last year we introduced a new generation of presses, the successors of the Xeikon PX2000 and Xeikon PX3000, thereby affirming our commitment to the label market and UV inkjet label business. Xeikon is renowned for having a determined sustainability program and the PantherCure UV LED series contributes to these goals.”
The inks are available on newly manufactured Xeikon PX3300 and Xeikon PX2200 models as of October 2022. Starting in 2023, current customers of prior models of the Panther Xeikon PX3000 and PX2000 presses will be eligible for field upgrades.
“The past couple of years have demonstrated that innovative companies with ‘future-proof” products are those that provide the best options to the customer for application choice and the highest OEE to safeguard their business goals,” continues Filip Weymans. “Field upgradeability of existing equipment with new innovations protects customers’ investments. This is a perfect example of how Xeikon is market-agile and customer-focused.”
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PantherCure LED inks come with new waveforms, software and optimised screening
