Heidelberg Aims ‘Hei’ With Drupa Debuts

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—The big, heavy curtain has finally been lifted. With much anticipation surrounding the Drupa 2008 launch of its new 56˝ Speedmaster XL 145 and 64˝ Speedmaster XL 162 large-format sheetfed presses, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen CEO Bernhard Schreier welcomed the international trade press to the Wiesloch-Walldorf manufacturing facility in early March to officially unveil both models, as well as the new Hall 11 where they are being assembled.

Geared toward the packaging and industrial printing segments, the 15,000 sph, “peak performance” presses will headline Heidelberg’s presentation based around “HEI Performance” and “HEI Value” slogans within its two exhibition halls at Drupa.

Corresponding large-format Suprasetter 145, 162 and 190 thermal platesetters and related finishing equipment will also debut.

Other pre-Drupa product announcements included:

• All new Speedmaster presses will be equipped with the new Prinect Press Center, which combines press operation with color and register control in a single, central console. Another innovation, Intellistart, allows the press operator to prepare the next job while the current job is still being printed, greatly reducing production steps. Newly integrated is a large, flat panel screen that depicts all press functions, displays ink zones in their actual width and supports the proofing/approval process.

• Other workflow solutions include an improved Prinect Axis Control and the new Prinect Packaging Workflow module.

• The new, 29˝ Speedmaster XL 75 will replace Heidelberg’s current Speedmaster CD 74 offering. Supporting numerous value-added finishing options, the 18,000 sph XL 75 boasts a larger sheet format, the Prinect Press Center with Intellistart, air presets for the entire sheet travel, and a new delivery control panel with touchscreen and jog wheeel.

• A Speedmaster XL 105 in a perfecting configuration (maximum speeds: 15,000 sph) will be running. (Although not being shown at Drupa, a four-over-four XL 145 perfector model was also seen on the Hall 11 factory floor.)