EPS XD-AQ to Print Fibre Packaging Live at PACK EXPO 2026

07 October 2026: Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS) has announced plans to demonstrate its XD-AQ water-based inkjet system at PACK EXPO International, 18-21 October 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The EPS XD-AQ prints directly onto converted or formed fibre packaging, offering an alternative to decorating sheets before making the final package.

EPS lists booth W-31050 and describes the planned demonstration as the XD-AQ’s first live showing worldwide. Its September 2026 announcement at the FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit in Valencia followed Nazdar’s aqueous inkjet announcement for the same event.

How does the EPS XD-AQ print fibre packaging?

The single-pass system uses eight Xaar Aquinox printheads to apply CMYK graphics directly onto porous substrates. Supported formats include carton blanks, folded boxes, corrugated mailers, moulded-fibre products, cup blanks, bags and thick board, according to EPS.

EPS’s published specifications give print-station speeds of up to 164 feet per minute at 720 × 720 dpi. These are machine specifications, not a guaranteed finished-parts output for every packaging format.

Jobs run from digital files without printing plates, primer or applied labels. EPS says producers can hold undecorated packaging and add artwork after die-cutting, folding, gluing or forming. The proposed workflow targets short runs, regional artwork and customer-specific designs, applications discussed in Screen Print India’s digital corrugated packaging guide.

Why use high-viscosity water-based ink?

EPS says the higher-viscosity formulation keeps more pigment near the surface of porous fibre, improving colour density and fine detail. Xaar’s corrugated-printing information confirms that Aquinox supports high-viscosity aqueous ink. Screen Print India’s earlier report on high-viscosity aqueous ink research provides background on this approach; it does not establish performance for every XD-AQ application.

The XD-AQ does not use UV curing lamps. EPS says its inks contain no photoinitiators or monomers, but converters still need to assess the ink and substrate together for their intended application.

Price, delivery timing and application tests

EPS XD-AQ lead time is around 18-24 months from deposit and a signed agreement, an important qualification to the release’s description of a production-ready system. Prospective buyers can send packaging parts to EPS for application testing. Samples allow them to assess colour density, small text and codes on the actual material rather than relying only on demonstration pieces.

ClosurePrint will also feature at the booth

EPS also plans to demonstrate ClosurePrint cap and lid decoration. Unlike the water-based XD-AQ, the show configuration uses CMYK plus white UV inkjet, LED-UV curing and automated handling. EPS says it will demonstrate inline printing of serialised data, lot information and expiry details.

FAQs

Can the XD-AQ print food packaging?

EPS specifies the outside, non-food-contact face. It claims compliance with Nestlé packaging-ink guidance and the Swiss Ordinance, manufacture under EuPIA Good Manufacturing Practice, and PFAS-free status per the ink manufacturer. Its ink-compliance qualifications cover intentionally added substances; end users must determine suitability for each food-packaging application.

What packaging dimensions can it accommodate?

EPS specifies a 5.4-inch print width and 10 inches of part clearance. The printing face must be flat.