The following appears on printweek.com

The world’s first liquid toner-based Oce InfiniStream digital press has been installed at the German packaging printer Joh Leupold.

The machine from Canon joins a fleet of offset presses and will provide short- to medium-length runs for customers including global brand owners and local German brands. Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 9.24.12 AMLeupold offers a complete range of services for folding cartons, point of sale displays and presentation boxes.

Joh Leupold managing director Bernd Assmann said: “During discussions with brand owners it became evident trends such as declining run lengths and increasing use of versioned products will become major challenges in the packaging value chain.

“Brand owners want shorter turn-around times and faster campaign execution as well as waste and cost reduction. We have carefully analysed the market. That is why we are taking advantage of a completely new press category – the fastest in the industry – in digital folding carton production.”

The Océ InfiniStream is based on an electro-photographic liquid toner technology that is

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said to match offset in relation to productivity, print quality and substrate versatility. It has a roll-fed, modular print tower design enabling users to choose from four to seven colours.

Canon confirmed that there were currently no other test sites in Europe, Asia or North America.

European sales & marketing director, Commercial Printing Group at Canon Europe, Reinhold Frech, said that while the company was focusing on the folding carton market initially, the InifiniStream would “eventually be used for other applications other than folding cartons”.

It was possible there would be a UK installation in the next 18 months said Frech, “but our priority is to complete our current order book,” he added.

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