Canon enters digital label printing market

Océ LabelStream 4000 is a roll-to-roll industrial-scale UV inkjet press, offering CMYK+W printing and available in a number of configurations to suit different needs in self-adhesive labels and flexible packaging. The white printing station is positioned ahead of the CMYK units, with two types of white ink available providing opacity from 67 percent (True white) to 80 percent (Alpine white), depending on application. Two widths are available – 330mm and 410mm –, with 48m/min and 68m/min production speeds available. This equates to a production range of 950-1,672 sqm an hour, depending on resolution.

Océ LabelStream 4000 features the latest Xaar 2001 printheads with an achievable resolution of 720 x 600 dpi. It can print on a wide range of standard labelstocks including PP, PE, BOPP plus selected special substrates. Applications include beauty and personal care, beverages, beer and spirits, household, industrial, pharmaceutical and promotional.

The inkjet press can be configured as a standalone digital press, with in-line finishing or as a hybrid platform. This allows the addition of a variety of value-adds, such as lamination, cold foil, delam/relam, turnbar and flexo color units, both before and after the inkjet engine. Canon identified the mix of conventional and digital technologies as enabling fast, affordable production of high-quality self-adhesive labels.

It has been developed in collaboration with label industry specialists Edale and FFEI, which has allowed Canon to achieve a fast entry to market having commenced conversations with partners at Labelexpo Americas 2016.

The latest addition to its production printing portfolio underlines the Canon and Océ strategy to invest in growing industrial printing segments. Christian Unterberger, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of production printing products (PPP) at Océ Printing Systems, commented: ‘The Océ LabelStream is based on the inkjet DNA of Canon and Océ. With this comprehensive solution package optimized to benefit from current market dynamics, label converters can boost their profitability for short and medium job sizes, and amaze customers with labels of exceptional quality and customized messaging.’

His colleague Crit Driessen, vice president and head of digital packaging PPP, added: ‘Océ is keen to break into forward-looking markets, and industrial packaging printing offers excellent opportunities for new revenue streams. Digital products currently account for only a relatively small part of this market worldwide, but the share expected to grow rapidly. We are confident that market players will appreciate the Océ LabelStream’s productivity and customizing abilities as a way to add value to label printing.’

LabelStream 4000 is seen as a platform, with configurations tailored to a printer's specific needs and allowing maximum productivity, while also allowing Canon to establish and build a presence in mutiple package printing markets, starting in labels with flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated on the horizon

Unterberger concluded: ‘The new Océ LabelStream 4000 series is the next step in advancing our market strategy. We plan to grow in the packaging market and ultimately play a leading role.’

Commercial availability of the Océ LabelStream 4000 series in Europe will be towards the end of 2018, with plans to enter the US market after that.

Read L&L issue 4, 2018 for a full update on the launch