DRUPA 2004 -- Gearing Up for the Big Show

The main event of the day was the unveiling of an all-new digital web press, the Xeikon 5000. According to Frank Deschuytere, vice president of R&D-engines, the company started from scratch in designing the press. Refinements that help to boost image quality, productivity and reliability, he says, include adding an in-line densitometer to check print quality, separating the stock feed and conditioning units from the print engine for better web feeding, and eliminating rigid connections between the machine's skin and its internal workings to provide a more stable platform.