Heidelberg is expanding automation in its computer-to-plate (CtP) process with the launch of two new systems, the Compact Pallet Loader (CPL) and the Compact Bender, integrated into a single CtP line.
Designed to work with Suprasetter 106/A106 platesetter models, the CPL enables automatic loading of printing plates directly into the systems, while occupying minimal floor space. Integrated with Heidelberg’s Prinect workflow, it supplies printing plates autonomously in line with job requirements.
At the end of the process, the Compact Bender automatically bends plates and, with an optional barcode recognition function, delivers them pre-sorted by printing press, job, and plate set eliminating manual handling.
Dr David Schmedding, chief technology and sales officer at Heidelberg, said the company is “systematically pushing ahead with the goal of achieving end-to-end automation in prepress production”. He added that print shops could use the CPL and Compact Bender “to cut operating and personnel costs and counter the skills shortage”.
The CPL can image up to 1200 plates in sizes from 650 x 750mm to 1050 x 1200mm in continuous operation. It can be retrofitted to Suprasetter 106/A106 models manufactured from 2017 onwards.
Heidelberg said the CPL fills a gap in its CtP range. Its existing Dual Cassette Loader handles up to 100 plates per cassette, while the Auto Pallet Loader (APL) has a capacity of 1,500 plates of a uniform format. All systems provide contact-free plate handling with minimal staff involvement and can be scaled or combined depending on production needs.
Druckstudio in Düsseldorf is one of the first to use the new CPL. The commercial and packaging printer, which serves clients in the automotive, fashion, cosmetics, energy, and luxury goods sectors, commissioned the system alongside a new Suprasetter 106 and Speedmaster XL 106-8-P press.
Werner Drechsler, founder and managing partner of Druckstudio, said the CPL, together with a new bending and sorting line, “is ensuring production runs smoothly”. He said that previously manual work, such as filling plate cassettes and bending imaged plates, “took a great deal of time”, and that automation has made these processes “much more efficient”.
In April 2024, Druckstudio also implemented Heidelberg’s Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) system, which automatically replenishes consumables when stock levels reach a minimum threshold.