Page 36 - Packaging News Magazine May-June 2020

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PACK & LABEL PRINTING | www.packagingnews.com.au | May-June 2020
Heidelberg launches intelligent automated Speedmaster
The world’s biggest offset press manufacturer, Heidelberg, has launched its new Speedmaster range, creating new opportunities for packaging printers.
Printshop poetry in motion –
the new Heidelberg Speedmaster
that the new generation of presses are designed for continuous printing.
“Following the overwhelming suc- cess of Push to Stop at drupa 2016, we have invested a great deal in advanc- ing the idea of the Smart Print Shop and in taking Push to Stop to a new level,” head of sheetfed product man- agement, Rainer Wolf said.
Software development plays a key role in this. But, Heidelberg has also heavily invested in press technology, closing automation gaps, further opti- mising subprocesses, and developing new applications.
Heidelberg has automated the dampening unit of the Speedmaster XL 106 with the new Hycolor Pro. The quantity of dampening solution is decided and metered between pan roller and metering roller. The press- ing/squeezing required for this pur- pose can now be carried out by auto- mation directly from the Prinect Press Center.
Heidelberg says it is providing printers with new applications that enable them to expand their portfo- lio and address new customer seg- ments. These include FoilStar Cure, enabling the adhesion of cold foil on in-mould label foils to be increased to a level that permits stable pro- ductions runs. Further modifica- tions to the FoilStar offer the pos- sibility of embossing hologram effects into the coating layer using the cast and cure method, and of curing the layer with LED.
In the area of rotary die-cutting, the successful Speedmaster XL 106-DD will be complemented by the Speedmaster XL 106-D with just one die-cutting unit.
The fully automated non-stop sys- tem of the Speedmaster XL 106 has also been redesigned, and, in addition to increased robustness for folding carton printing, now offers the option of rack operation for thin materials, for example in label printing.
A number of technical features for security printing, such as ink foun- tain for rainbow printing, or devices for waterless offset and letterset, were transferred from the Speedmaster XL 75 to the XL 106.
A new coating supply allows min- imal circulation quantities, which saves costs, especially with special applications involving expensive coatings. ■
HEIDELBERG sells more presses than anyone, even in these strained times. And, the company has a new focus on its core products: sheetfed offset B1 and B2 sized presses. The new generation of Speedmasters combines the lat-
est mechanical and electrical engi- neering developments with cloud- based technology.
Packaging printing has become a key focus for Heidelberg. Fibre-based pack- aging is coming back into vogue, as it is seen to have fewer sustainability challenges than plastic packaging.
Heidelberg’s revamped Speedmas- ter presses sport a host of new fea- tures, including digitally controlled dampening, wash-up reduction, zero defect print, and specific functional- ity for packaging, commercial, and security printing.
The new Heidelberg Speedmaster series has a completely redesigned Prinect Press Center generation, with
the new Speedmaster Operating System, delivering Push to Stop func- tionality and connection to the Prinect Cloud to every press.
The company says the new Speedmasters can produce up to 90 million sheets per year. The Speedmaster XL 106 is now available with special equipment for substrate thicknesses of up to 1.6 mm.
The core concept for Heidelberg is Push to Stop. Introduced at drupa last time out, the concept essentially means
“We have invested a great deal in advancing the idea of the Smart Print Shop and in taking Push to Stop to a new level.” — Rainer Wolf, Heidelberg