XEIKON LAUNCHES PANTHERCURE LED SERIES

Xeikon has launched its PantherCure LED series, a family of inks for use with Panther technology, which come with new waveforms, software and optimised screening.

Xeikon’s Panther Technology, introduced in 2017, is based on UV inkjet, which is the most cost-effective technology to address specific end-use markets, including labels, and provide durability such as scratch, scuff and rub resistance, and a glossy tactile look and feel, says Xeikon.

According to Xeikon, the PantherCure LED series inks deliver a long list of benefits, including a wider application range, since LED curing generates less heat exposed to the substrate, and more heat-sensitive substrates can be used with a water-based cool-down process.

The LED series also offer broader colour gamut enabled to address more brand colours, and increases image quality by introducing a new screening, waveform and ink, delivering consistent UV curing throughout the time, says the company.

By combining ink, screening, waveforms and software, ink consumption can be reduced by 30 per cent on average, depending on the content of the job, says Xeikon.

With regard to sustainability, Xeikon says the new LED series eliminates the waste of mercury bulbs and improves the overall equipment efficiency. LED is said to provide 10 times longer lifetime and to reduce maintenance, and LED ink curing requires "less energy for the same speed, thereby decreasing the overall energy consumption, and has a direct impact on the total operating costs". 

“Today, 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. 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”, says Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s VP for worldwide marketing, adding that Xeikon is "renowned for having a determined sustainability program and the PantherCure UV LED series contributes to these goals".

The new inks are available on newly manufactured Xeikon PX3300 and Xeikon PX2200 as of October 2022. Starting in 2023, current customers of prior models of the Panther Press, Xeikon PX3000 and PX2000 will be eligible for field upgrades.