German press giant Heidelberg has announced its new Versafire EP digital press for high-performance, high-volume print. Having undergone testing at Unterlieder Medien Gruppe in Rödermark, Germany, the press will become available in Europe from June, with the rest of the world to follow.
The EP joins the EV, announced in March, in the next generation of Versafire toner-based presses. Running on the Prinect DFE, the Versafire EP offers four-colour printing with redundant toner supply, according to Stephan Plenz, member of the management board responsible for digital technology at Heidelberg. “With the machines from the new Versafire generation, we offer our customers in commercial printing exactly the right solution for their applications,” he said.
“The Versafire EV comes into its own in creative applications with many spot colors, while the Versafire EP is the high-performance machine for high volumes.”
The Versafire EP produces 115 or 135 A4 pages a minute, and can process papers up to 450 gsm. Marcus Unterlieder, managing director of Unterlieder Medien Gruppe, says the press's ease of use and Prinect DFE are among its hallmark features. “The new Versafire EP delivers extremely stable production at a constantly high speed,” he said. The press has enabled Unterlieder Medien Gruppe to produce applications it couldn't previously, such as personalised double-sided eight-page flyers and high-quality textured linen papers.
No Australian release date has yet been announced, but it's expected to be available in Australia in the next few weeks, according to Dierk Wissmann, national sales manager for label, digital, and Prinect at Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand. "I'm really looking forward to bringing the Versafire EV and EP to Australia. In combination with the new Prinect DFE software, both models will be game-changers in the digital cut-sheet market."