Looking Back on and Ahead to the Significance of drupa 2012 for Heidelberg

Q&A with Harald Weimer, president of Heidelberg USA, reflecting on the printing equipment manufacturer’s takeaways from drupa 2012.

PI: Now that you can view drupa 2012 through the rear-view mirror, what are your impressions of the overall trends at the show, the current state of the printing industry, and where our industry is headed in the future?

Weimer: drupa was more than satisfying for Heidelberg, in terms of the overall traffic through our exhibits, the keen interest shown in our solutions, and the sales that followed. Significantly, more North American printers attended drupa 2012 than four years ago, and investment is picking up here, with printers intent on acquiring more efficient, productive equipment in every category that will enable them to differentiate their products and services.

Based on Heidelberg’s experience, it would seem that printers are feeling more confident about the future, and this motivates us to work even harder to supply them with the solutions they need to maintain a competitive advantage in the markets they serve.

PI: What do you feel were the most significant new product introductions and technology previews shown within Heidelberg's two halls at the show?

Weimer: In all, Heidelberg showed more than 60 innovations in commercial and packaging printing at drupa. Best-sellers were our new flagship Speedmaster XL 106 press; along with our Linoprint C 901 and C 751 digital printing systems, controlled by Heidelberg’s Prinect software and supported by a variety of inline finishing options; and our fast-makeready, low-waste Speedmaster XL 75 with Anicolor inking. Also attracting a lot of attention from quality-conscious packaging printers were the new inkjetting system on the Speedmaster XL 106 and the new Inspection Control module on our Diana folding carton gluer.

PI: Along the same line, since GRAPH EXPO in Chicago this fall will be the first time many U.S. printers will be exposed to drupa new product developments, can you provide a sneak peek of what Heidelberg will be showcasing within its booth?