US and Euro buyers get in line for Rapid XL220

Australian manufacturer Rapid firms up first wave of sales, local and international, for the new XL220 before running the Ipex gauntlet in a week's time. Rapid put its latest digital label press through its paces on Friday, with set-ups boasting less than a metre in waste, before packing up to go in out to its first buyer, based in Sydney.

The first in Rapid's new XL family to assertively fuse digital and flexographic technology, the XL220 showcased a complete print and finishing solution ideally targeted at crucial short-run markets. Designed as a 'one-touch' inline unit, the XL220 is also fully modular and can be customised to fit the unique demands of the converter's set-up. With an ever-increasing range of technologies available in the market, Rapid-X Digital general manager Nick Mansell tells Print21 he believes that flexibility is a key asset for the business.

"When it comes to finishing inline there's always a trade-off and a balance, between productivity and risk exposure. That's why this line can be run inline quite easily, synchronised to another press. It can run off-line. It can be broken down into multiple off-line modules. So we can fit unwinding, rewinding, docking, all these functions to whatever process the customer wants," said Mansell.

_The first XL220 has already found a new home and Mansell confirms US and European sales already in the pipeline. European distributor Impression Technologies Europe (ITE) will showcase a range of Rapid kit at Ipex, including the X1, X2 and D2 die cutter and laminator. Although the XL220 itself won't quite make it over in time, Mansell has hopes the show will help push one or two EU bidders over the line.

Rapid exports its home-grown technology to more than 54 countries worldwide, with over 200 digital label presses shipped since 2010. The XL220 aims for longer production capability, still coming in for under $100,000. It launches with the tagline, "small where it matters, big where it counts."

According the Mansell, "That's kind of what we think about Rapid as well. We're small enough to be flexible, but we've got enough experience to be able to make a product that goes and can compete on the world stage."

The XL220 runs a 220mm web at 18 metres per minute, printing at 1600 x 800 dpi, or 9 metres a minute at 1600 x 1600 dpi, as well as reducing set-up waste to as little as under a metre. Matching the fast productivity of the high-speed Memjet print-head technology under the XL's hood with its finishing processes marks a solid point of difference for the press.

"One of the biggest challenges with inline finishing systems is the material that has to go in for set-up means that it takes a long time and you end up with a high material waste. Where you might have a digital machine where the first or second print that comes off it as a saleable product, by the time it gets through the finishing you may still end up with a fairly significant waste in set-up. We’re trying to bridge that gap," said Mansell.

Built off the back of more than 20 years experience with semi-rotary technology, Rapid is building up the XL range to offer die-cutting, flexo, cold foiling units, all of which will join the family over the coming months. Mansell also highlights a number of lower-profile innovations showcased by the XL220, including its eco-friendly coreless rewind system.

He says, "Everywhere we go in the process we're trying to minimise the impact of having the machine. Small footprint, low power consumption, easy to use."