Lier & Mechelen, December 8th 2004 – PunchGraphics, the graphics division of Punch and Achilles Associates are proud to announce that the Xeikon 5000 has been awarded an ‘iF seal of design excellence’ in the iF product design competition 2005. 740 participants from 31 different countries submitted no less than 1,900 products competing for the coveted iF design award, one of the most prestigious design contests worldwide. The Xeikon 5000 is Xeikon’s flagship amongst its digital colour printing presses which was launched in February and stealing the show at drupa 2004, Europe’s largest print exhibition in Düsseldorf last May. After drupa, the Xeikon 5000 continued to attract attention. The iF award is yet another chapter in what seems to be a never-ending success story. Achilles Associates was responsible for the design and styling of the machine housing, the stacker and the digital front-end console of the Xeikon 5000. “The Xeikon 5000 marked the beginning of a radically different range of digital colour printing presses. Not only has it been setting new standards for print quality, productivity, flexibility and cost, it has made a very bold statement in terms of design”, says Dick Tilanus, head of PunchGraphics. “Pleased with the result for the Xeikon 5000, we decided to continue this design line. The housing of the Strobbe Graphics PS-range of Laser Platesetters which was premiered at drupa 2004 has been developed by Achilles as well. We are very satisfied with our collaboration and with the ultimate result and we are therefore glad to see their efforts rewarded international recognition.” "When we started this design project, we set ourselves an ambitious goal”; says Koen Elsen, Managing Director at Achilles Associates, "We wanted to achieve nothing less than a printing press ‘dressed to kill’. I believe we can say that the styling of the Xeikon 5000, vivid red, with revolutionary door handles and robust, curved shapes truly reflects the quality inherent in every single aspect of this press. The iF label is the best confirmation that we have achieved our ambitious goal. Being awarded the ‘iF seal of design excellence’ is an honour and a recognition of our core competency, product design.” The Xeikon 5000 is also in the running for one of the iF Gold or iF Silver awards which will be announced somewhere in March next year.