Xeikon Café to host game-changing innovations in digital production
How can digital production enhance and transform the label and packaging industry? How can it turn short to medium runs into profitable business? Label and packaging printers and converters as well as print buyers can find out at the Xeikon Café hosted by Xeikon and Xeikon Aura Partners from Tuesday May 20 thru Thursday May 22, 2014. The event offers them a unique opportunity to discover and explore how digital production could also drive and improve their business.
Proven Formula
The concept of a Xeikon Café is simple but effective: to provide an informal knowledge exchange platform covering the different aspects of digitalizing print production, while cutting through the information overload. With this aim in mind, Xeikon and its Aura Partners have been inviting printers and converters to come along to local one-day events around the world, organized around a central theme or topic such as digital printing technology, converting equipment, print media, software, or consumables. Through demonstrations, presentations, workshops and discussions, participants receive first-hand actionable information and advice on industry innovations and trends.
This time the Xeikon Café centers on packaging innovations and will run over not just one, but three days.
The Innovative Power of Co-creation
Making a product stand out on the shelves, building a recognizable brand and protecting it against counterfeiting is no mean feat nowadays. And doing so without affecting profitability is an even taller order. Different label and packaging applications have very different requirements, but they all call for uncompromising quality and cost-effective short to medium runs. And therein lies the innovation that Xeikon and its Aura Partners have managed to achieve, as Filip Weymans, Xeikon's Director of Segment Marketing Labels & Packaging, explains: "Digital printing answers many of the challenges today's print producers and converters face. But integrating a digital press into an otherwise traditional workflow is one thing; aligning all processes and equipment, including tools and consumables, in such a way that the result matches or even outperforms the quality offered by traditional production methods, while even improving profit margins, is an entirely different matter."
There is indeed more to label and packaging production than printing great designs. This is why Xeikon has been listening closely to its customers all along. And so have its Aura Partners. Together they have developed total solutions, or suites – carefully selected and painstakingly tested combinations of equipment, technologies and capabilities, enabling print service providers to produce the finished product as cost-effectively as possible. So far, they have developed solutions for folding cartons, self-adhesive labels, heat transfer labels and in-mold labels. "Close collaboration is the key," says Weymans. "The innovative power of co-creation is huge. The latest addition to our application suite is a case in point. It's the first integrated solution ever to make it possible to use digital printing as part of an automated in-mold label production process. It's nothing short of a game changer."
Four Application Suites in Action
Participants will see the complete range of label and packaging application suites in action, i.e. a Folding Carton Suite, a Self-Adhesive Label Suite, a Heat Transfer Label Suite and an In-Mold Label Suite, featuring live job preparation, production and finishing of real-life and purpose-built applications. In addition, a variety of applications will be on display, illustrating what digital production can achieve.
During several technical seminars, Aura Partners involved in the development of the label and packaging application suites will describe their contributions in detail. Participants will learn why certain choices in terms of equipment, tools and consumables, software or print media were made. Xeikon customers will share their experience of using their application suites and talk about how this has contributed to the success of their business. And last but not least, there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas on digital production and explore opportunities with Aura Partners, Xeikon staff and fellow participants.
Anyone interested in attending should stay tuned in the weeks ahead, as Xeikon will be releasing more information about each of the label and packaging application suites on show.
Why Attend?
Filip Weymans sums it up: "We're looking forward to welcoming label and packaging printers and converters as well as technical print buyers. Whether you're new to digital production or have already integrated digital printing into your workflow, this event is an ideal opportunity to discover the huge potential of digital printing and automated production workflows, and to learn how integrated digital production solutions can drive innovation and help established print producers grow their business even further."
Sign up Today
The Xeikon Café will take place at Xeikon's production site in Lier, Belgium. It will run from May 20 thru May 22, 2014 with basically the same program each day, so participants can choose the date that best suits them.
