Chinese Converter Adds Second Xeikon 3500 Digital Label Press

Xeikon said that Chinese company Guangzhou Hongda, a leading supplier of heat transfer labels in the Chinese market, is adding a second Xeikon 3500 digital press to accommodate growth in the digital segment of its business. The company has more than 20 years of experience in gravure-printed transfer labels primarily serving the large toys market in China. It was seeking a solution that would enable cost-effective production of shorter runs as well as provide an opportunity to expand into heat transfer segment through a newly created web-portal / network of printing partners.

“We did stringent testing of various digital printing solutions available in the market,” said Jiongda Chen, CEO of Guangzhou Hongda. “We determined that the Xeikon 3500 was the best choice for our business. Following our successful experience with the first press installed earlier this year, we are now in the process of adding a second Xeikon 3500, with plans to expand even more during 2018. We work closely with Xeikon’s team in China and their commitment, service and support played an important role in the successful implementation of our digital production capabilities.”

Chen points out that key considerations in this decision included the high quality heat transfer labels the Xeikon 3500 press delivers and the FDA compliant dry toner, highly important for the toys market.

“We also appreciated the 50cm print width that allows for multiple up production, supported with Xeikon’s VariLane which makes it possible to create digital imposition templates for heat transfer labels with different SKUs and different sizes within the same print job,” Chen said.

Xeikon VariLane is an imposition software plug-in to the Xeikon X-800 digital front-end, specifically designed to allow label printers greater flexibility in the production of labels and increased profit opportunities.

“Guangzhou Hongda has leveraged Xeikon’s print-on-demand capability for heat transfer labels by building a network of heat transfer converters who can order digitally printed heat transfer labels via a web portal,” said Bent Serritslev, managing director Asia Pacific at Xeikon. “This has been successful in growing volume, as evidenced by the company’s acquisition of a second press”