COUNTDOWN TO DRUPA: HEIDELBERG
Citing the global megatrends of digitalisation, sustainability, labour shortages and inflation, Heidelberg says its response is to develop presses with increased productivity, increased automation, and which will save resources.
Heidelberg is now on a dual track strategy of printing and adjacent areas. It sees growth in the packaging sector with digital in the commercial segment, and by an expansion of recurring revenues.
This will manifest itself in the new peak performance 21,000sph Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 on the stand at drupa, which represents the continued development of its push to stop concept. The company says the XL 106 is “highly configurable” and so suitable for different markets and applications.
It is the most automated press yet; many maintenance functions are now automated, for instance what were previously manual greasing tasks. There is also a reduction of consumption, with the new press needing less water, less energy, and less chemicals.
Heidelberg says the benchmark output for the new XL 106 is 100 million sheets a year.
One of the target applications is high value packaging. Heidelberg says the new press is 15-20 per cent more productive, and it says in applications including pharma packaging its makeready will reduce by up to 30 per cent.
Makeready reduction across the board is powered by its IntelliStart 3, which it says means 70 per cent fewer operator steps, making it quicker, easier and eliminating the possibility of human mistakes from those areas.
Heidelberg says the new XL 106 will reduce the cost per sheet, and will reduce waste sheets. The XL 106 is just one of Heidelberg’s B1 presses, and Heidelberg is also committed to the B2 market, and will have B2 on its stand. Heidelberg will be offering customers the opportunity to take a trip down to Weisloch to see its full range of B and B2 presses in action at the main production facility.
Visitors to the Heidelberg stand at drupa will also see a unit of the new Boardmaster, Heidelberg’s new 600 metres a minute flexo press, which has dual print unit allowing for “fast” job changes.
Heidelberg will be in its traditional location in Hall 1 at the Messe Centre.