Customers Laud Heidelberg Saphira Consumables for Reliability, Stability, Affordability

KENNESAW, GA—August 9, 2013—Enthusiastic user testimonials reflect growing market demand for high-quality, value-added Heidelberg Saphira consumable products.

“Saphira Aqueous Coatings are affordable, glossier than the alternatives, and run beautifully,” said Trey Holmes, pressroom manager for Rand Graphics in Wichita, KS, a first-time user. “I can stop and start the press with no issues. It’s a good, reliable, all-around work-and-turn coating ideal for busy shops with an eye on the bottom line.” Rand Graphics’ fleet includes a eight-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102, a six-color Speedmaster CD 74, and a five-color Heidelberg MO press.

“We run Heidelberg coatings on our Speedmaster CD 102,” added Brian Francis, vice president, Fort Nassau Graphics, West Deptford, NJ. “We have found, since changing over to Saphira, that we are using less coating and the curing time is quicker, especially on the matte and dull coating. The technical support and training on the coatings was also excellent.”

Saphira Aqueous Coatings are designed for inline coating applications on Heidelberg anilox or two-roll coating units. Heidelberg recently began manufacturing the coatings locally at its new Hi-Tech Coatings plant, located in the Detroit suburb of Taylor, MI. Centrally located for fast, convenient shipping, the new installation puts the quality and reliability of Saphira Aqueous Coatings within easy reach of companies across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Smooth Sailing
Committed longtime users already know what Heidelberg Saphira consumable products can do to stabilize production and keep quality high.

“There’s a reason Ritter’s has used Heidelberg’s Saphira prepress and pressroom consumable products for years,” noted Roz Ritter, owner of Ritter’s Communications in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “Everything runs smoothly and seamlessly in our Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 and Printmaster 52 presses, as well as in our Suprasetter Chemfree platesetter. Currently, we’re using Saphira Chemfree plates, color-accurate proofing paper, wash-up cloths, ink, aqueous coating, press wash, Wash-up & Go liners, as well as toner for our Linoprint C901 digital press, which we also purchased from Heidelberg. We’re more than satisfied with the results.”

Your One-Stop Shop
Heidelberg has established a broad portfolio of prepress, pressroom and postpress consumables optimized for maximum performance in Heidelberg and competitive systems. Saphira consumables always meet the latest environmental standards, are available for every need and budget, and can be geared to specific Heidelberg or competitive technologies and applications. The powerful combination of Saphira consumables, Heidelberg know-how, and the printer’s own expertise brings stability to production.

Heidelberg commissions each new press it installs using Saphira products including ink, coating, and press chemistry to enhance print quality and streamline installation, and ensure the press is up and in production as soon as possible. This type of “bundling” offers customers ongoing support from Heidelberg factory-trained print instructors.

In order to deliver best in class support to its growing consumables customer base, Heidelberg has strengthened its local consumables organization through product and application training, improved logistical solutions, as well as training and support of print instructors and product specialists.

Up-and-Comers
Among the newest additions to Heidelberg’s Saphira line are the Saphira Thermoplate HCR and Saphira Thermoplate P2. The former is an outstanding thermal positive plate designed for harsh press conditions. It can be exposed to UV light for up to two hours without affecting the plate coating, and can be used with a variety of dampening and wash-up solutions. Low energy requirements enable maximum plate output per hour, while uniformly excellent resolution permits the benefits of FM and Hybrid screening to be realized in full.

The Saphira Thermoplate P2 is a universal printing plate for all standard applications. Ideal for medium and long runs, the P2 plate produces outstanding print results for every use. The excellent ink trapping of the hydrophilic layer ensures optimum ink/water balance, which leads to more stable printing. The P2’s wide processing latitude also saves time and money for the user.

Heidelberg continues to roll out products in its attractively priced Performance-Rated consumable series, including blankets, wash-up cloths, ink foils, rollers, and fogra-approved press wash. The company recently has brought to market a new line of UV consumable products, including ink, coating, blankets, and optimized press chemistry.

As an international brand, all Saphira consumables are extensively tested and certified to ensure the outstanding performance of Heidelberg equipment in all the markets served worldwide, from small commercial printing to VLF packaging. Performance-Rated Saphira consumables also undergo rigorous testing by experts at Heidelberg USA, and should prove irresistible to printers with a keen eye trained on the bottom line. Like all Saphira products, Performance-Rated Saphira consumable products meet the latest industry standards for environmentally compliant production.

Source: Heidelberg.