Colordyne launches label system with Memjet technology

Colordyne Technologies to debut first near-line production class label machine with Memjet technology and components, writes Danielle Jerschefske in an L&L exclusive

Colordyne will demonstrate its new CDT-1600PC (production class) roll-to-roll press dedicated to the prime and secondary pressure sensitive label markets, narrow web packaging and tags at a series of tradeshows this fall in the US starting with Graph Expo and Pack Expo, wrapping up with a presence at Labelexpo Europe at the end of the month. Show attendees will be able to see for the first time Colordyne’s inkjet system using Memjet color printing technology mounted on a specially engineered web handling system in cooperation with AzTech Converting.

The 1600PC is a 5-color fixed head system equipped with CMYK water-based dye ink, plus a water-based dye pantone spot color capable of running at 32 in/sec, or 160 ft/min on both continuous and pre-die cut materials. Memjet’s printheads utilize nanotechnology that can print at 1600 x 1200 dpi on this system. Memjet-powered printers use Memjet printheads, controller chips and ink. The Memjet printhead is 8.77 inches wide and has 70,400 nozzles that can fire more than 700 million drops of ink per second. With its five printheads, the CDT-1600PC can fire more than 3.5 billion drops of ink per second.

This digital inkjet system is poised to tackle two separate pieces of market share. Firstly, the Colordyne system can offer a turnkey solution to brand owners of all sizes that help improve turnover times, reduce inventories and waste and provide a production avenue for more cost-effective full color labels. Since the system is capable of printing pre-die cut materials, the complex conversion step is removed from on-demand label production, thereby streamlining the process.

The Colordyne 1600PC has been designed with flexibility in mind and with the AzTech Convertingpartnership, label converters too can find the system to be a simplified process, but can additionally customize the converting line by adding stations to the front and back of the digital heads with options to coat, laminate, integrate foiling, stamping and/or die stations to produce more short runs of high-value labels cost effectively.

Gary Falconbridge, president of Colordyne, said: ‘The system can truly compete with flexo at job run lengths from 1,000 to 75,000. It provides label converters the opportunity to come into the digital market offering full color variable printing for a variety of business sectors at low costs. The 1600PC is a lower capital expenditure. There’s opportunity to find profit margins with the system’s consumable infrastructure and it has a smaller footprint.’

The way in which the Colordyne system has been designed around low capital, consumable costs and profitability is different from others in the market. Inks, materials and the inkjet head are considered consumables and are factored in as such within the cost model. The Memjet heads in the Colordyne system can be replaced for a minimal cost, which lowers the cost per print.

‘We believe the Colordyne printers will forge a paradigm shift,’ explained Falconbridge. ‘Looking at a high speed color printing system in this way and fully utilizing the Memjet technology creates a whole new way of doing business.’

Colordyne will begin shipping machines to North American and Europe in the fourth quarter of 2011. Already Colordyne has three distribution points for the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, and a host of some thirty resellers.