San Leandro, CA - Special marketing opportunities such as commemorative 2-piece cans for local sports teams, holiday brews and other short-run requests, often pose unique challenges for conventional can printers pushing to maximize efficiency in their operations.  Digital operations have been without an effective high-speed alternative, but INX Digital has a new option incorporating high quality, high-speed digital technology for short-run production and to help customer operations generate sales growth.  INX will discuss its capabilities at PRINT '09 (booth 4848), to be held September 11-16 in its hometown at McCormick Place in Chicago.

"This is a Technology Preview," explained Jim Lambert, Vice President Digital Division of INX International.  "Booth visitors can see for themselves the high-quality, single or multi-pass through-cured 4-color output provided by an advanced UV LED-curing system with hybrid UV inks.  At the show we will be hand-mounting cans on a mandrel to be moved through the print tunnel and final curing chamber.  The commercial version will, of course, use a high-speed loading mechanism and be fully integrated into the customer's workflow."

Engineered by INX Digital specialists in electronics, software development and systems integration, the new can printer utilizes proven, patented Xaar 1001 piezoelectric printheads with advanced piezo drop-on-demand, 8-level greyscale technology and patented Xaar Through-Flow Technology to deliver exceptionally consistent, eye-catching color.  Specially designed INX Digital Triangle brand inks complete the package.

"This combination of INX Digital electronics and Xaar 1001 printheads also drives the new high-speed single-pass UV LED-cure narrow web press we'll be introducing at the show," Lambert said.  "The can printer offers conventional, high-volume operations an ideal way to evolve into digital capability cost-effectively, while generating high ROI on special market opportunities."

Lambert said the system and equipment can be adapted to print on any cylindrical object such as bottles, golf club shafts, arrows and more. 

"The extended special-marketing project potential for this technology is tremendous.  Our engineering design and system integration expertise at INX Digital, as well as close collaboration with technology leaders such as Xaar, helps us continually deliver advanced systems and equipment for numerous types of digital print production.  Visitors to our booth at PRINT '09 will be able to see several examples all at once."

INX Digital International Co. is a leading global manufacturer of inkjet inks for wide format, super-wide and new generation digital printers, and a supplier of printer parts and related services.  As the digital arm of INX International Ink Co., it offers a full palette of digital ink systems, advanced technologies and integrated services including chemistry, hardware and software, engineering design and integration and media.  For more information, visit the web site at www.INXdigital.com.