Heidelberg Deems Launch of Speedmaster SX a Success as 1,000+ Printing Units Already Sold

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY—Nov. 20, 2012—Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has now sold more than 1,000 printing units of its new Speedmaster SX series worldwide. The company unveiled the Speedmaster SX 52/SX 52 Anicolor, SX 74, and SX 102 series at the drupa 2012 trade show in Dusseldorf.

The design concept already employed in the Speedmaster CX 102 of bringing the high-end technologies of the Speedmaster XL class to the proven machine platform of the Speedmaster SM has been a hit with customers. This makes these technologies available to a broad base of users and delivers a perfect response to the trend towards shorter print runs, increasing numbers of print jobs, elaborate surface finishes, and environmentally-friendly production.

Heidelberg highlighted these trends at drupa under the mottos HEI Productivity, HEI Flexibility, HEI Emotions, and HEI Eco.

The SX platform is targeted primarily at print shops in the commercial printing sector. This approach applies to industrialized countries where the intense competition is resulting in consolidation and investments in machines capable of delivering high productivity, exceptional flexibility or high-end surface finishing. But it also applies to emerging markets where customers find themselves on a growth path towards greater quality and volume or where new print shops are springing up.

More than 60 percent of the SX models are installed in Europe, a quarter in the Asia-Pacific region and over ten percent in South America. The rest are located in North America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Environmental protection is assuming an increasingly important role in many markets. “Our goal of providing customers with a press that is perfectly tailored to their needs has been met in every respect,” states Felix Müller, head of product management 70 x 100 at Heidelberg. “All three series are very successful—over half of the SX printing units are for Speedmaster SX 52 and SX 52 Anicolor presses, which proves the A3 market is still very popular.

“With around a third of the installed printing units in the Speedmaster SX 74 sector, it’s evident that the high flexibility and coating capability have been well received in the market. Some 70 percent of the printing units sold for the Speedmaster SX 102 are for perfecting presses, which deliver the very highest productivity,” Müller adds

Since drupa 2012, Heidelberg has thus been able to offer a wide-ranging press portfolio for commercial, packaging, and label printers, that is divided into three areas—Speedmaster SM and CD models in standard configurations, Speedmaster SX and CX models in numerous variations for professional applications, and the Peak Performance models of the Speedmaster XL series.

Customer orders confirm: This is the right machine at the right time
“The new Speedmaster SX 52 and the prepress link have cut our waste levels by 25 to 30 percent,” say Stefanie and Florian Huss, the third generation of the family to run the full-service Graphia-Huss print shop in Frankfurt. “The Prinect Easy Control color measuring system enables us to boost our print quality, as we are now assured much greater color stability over the entire run. The four-color press with coating unit also offers us new production options.”

The family-run business produces advertising materials such as flyers, brochures, and mailings and is a service provider to industry, retailers, associations, banks, and advertising agencies.

In general, the Speedmaster SX 52 spectrum ranges from two to ten printing units, optionally with perfecting device and coating unit. The optional Anicolor zoneless short inking unit reduces paper waste by up to 90 percent. The Speedmaster SX 52 Anicolor therefore results in a print process that delivers eco-friendly operation at lower costs. Furthermore, from April 2012, it has been supplied on a carbon-neutral basis ex works.

Schürch achieves ultra-short makeready times with Speedmaster SX 74
The Schürch AG print shop in Huttwil, Switzerland, has been using a new Speedmaster SX 74 five-color perfecting press with coating unit since August this year.

“Our productivity has grown by at least 20 percent with the new Speedmaster SX 74 with AutoPlate Pro. We can now carry out a complete plate change in less than two minutes and cut makeready times dramatically,” says deputy managing director Markus Siegenthaler. “The coating unit has reduced our job throughput time enormously. We can now print in the morning and deliver by midday. The Prinect Axis Control color measuring system ensures the print job is much more stable and we have fewer color fluctuations.”

The full-service print shop has 24 employees and produces advertising materials such as brochures, leaflets, books, invitation cards, flyers, and newspapers for commerce, industry, advertising agencies, associations, and public bodies.

The Speedmaster SX 74 features a transfer cylinder with adjustable diameter. This, too, cuts makeready times, particularly when changing from very thin to very thick substrates. The models range from two to ten printing units, with or without a perfecting device and coating unit.

Görres print shop plans up to 35 percent increase in productivity with Speedmaster SX 102
The Görres print shop and publishing house chose a Speedmaster SX 102 eight-color perfecting press while drupa was still under way and has been working with the new machine at its Neuwied site since July.

“We made the right decision in buying this machine and we would do the same again,” says managing director Arnd Spitzlei. “After just a few weeks, efficiency had increased by around 20 percent and we are confident of achieving 30 to 35 percent over the medium- to long-term.”

With around 115 staff, Görres produces a wide range of commercial jobs and packaging for demanding customers in the immediate region and beyond. Its pressroom also includes a Speedmaster XL 105 five-color press and Speedmaster CD 102 five-color press, both with coating unit and a Speedmaster SM 102 two-color unit.

“What we particularly like about the new Speedmaster SX 102 are technologies such as Prinect Inpress Control. This enables us to control color and register on the fly and results in much less waste. The optimized sheet travel and new dynamic sheet brake also make the operator’s work easier and boost productivity,” explains Spitzlei.

The Speedmaster SX 102 series employs proven three-drum perfecting and innovative components from the Peak Performance class such as the wing grippers on the reversing drum. This ensures consistently high print quality on both sides of the sheet at maximum production speeds of up to 14,000 sph. Plate changing with the fully-automatic AutoPlate Pro system cuts makeready times significantly. The configuration options for the Speedmaster SX 102 range from two to ten printing units, equipped with a perfecting device, and either with or without a coating unit.

All Speedmaster SX models support new technology in the form of PerfectJacket Blue for the impression cylinders and TransferJacket Blue for the transfer cylinders. Color Assistant Pro accelerates the makeready process and significantly reduces waste. It calibrates the ink zones based on the condition of the ink fountain liner and thereby ensures even faster inking-up for each job change. In conjunction with Intellistart process-oriented user guidance on the Prinect Press Center, productivity is increased considerably.

Systematically designed for sustainable printing
As a pioneer of green printing, Heidelberg has been developing solutions to eliminate or reduce CO 2, process emissions, and waste for many years. That is why the technology of the Speedmaster SX models sets standards in more than just productivity. Their high energy and resource efficiency make these presses the most environmentally friendly machines in their class. They require only minimum air support for reliable sheet travel, a fact that cuts energy consumption significantly.

It is also possible to integrate a measuring instrument that displays the energy efficiency of the press for every 1,000 printed sheets and thereby helps the operator save energy. The Star System peripherals are perfectly coordinated with the press. They are highly efficient and designed to save energy and resources. All SX presses support alcohol-reduced/alcohol-free printing and can be supplied on a carbon-neutral basis.

Source: Heidelberg.