Heidelberg to Present a New Sheetfed Offset Press Series at drupa

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—Feb. 27, 2012—Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will be showcasing around 60 innovations under the motto “Discover HEI” in Hall 1 at drupa 2012, which is taking place from May 3-16 in Düsseldorf. As the most important event in the print media industry, Heidelberg expects drupa to provide a positive impetus for itself and the industry as a whole and awaits the investment backlog in key markets around the world to subside. In the run-up to the trade show, the world market leader for commercial and packaging printing solutions is announcing additional product innovations.

The main focus is on the launch of a completely new series of sheetfed offset presses under the name Speedmaster SX. This series combines the cutting-edge technology of existing product series in a new performance class that is tailored first and foremost to the requirements of commercial printing in order to meet the changed market requirements.

The Speedmaster SX series from Heidelberg is primarily targeted at print shops in emerging markets that are looking to take productivity to a new level but also at customers in industrialized countries who find themselves under heightened pricing pressure. Launched in 2010, the Speedmaster CX 102 sheetfed offset press for packaging printing was based on the same concept. Since then, more than 1,000 printing units have been sold worldwide – with great success.

The company is also expanding its digital print portfolio, bundling all solutions under the name Heidelberg Linoprint. For this purpose, the cooperation with Ricoh has been expanded as planned. Heidelberg now offers Ricoh digital printing systems under its own name and equipped with Heidelberg software. The current solution portfolio of Heidelberg is rounded off with additional innovations for prepress and postpress.

“Along with our customers, we will be providing a positive boost for the print media industry at drupa. We will be using our portfolio of solutions and services to showcase futureproof business models for our industry,” says Heidelberg CEO Bernhard Schreier. “We will show our customers that investments pay dividends by preparing them for future trends in printed communication. The growth segments of packaging and digital printing take center stage in this regard. We have already introduced the first highlight for commercial printing in the form of the Speedmaster XL 105 perfecting press with increased productivity.”

At drupa, Heidelberg will be focusing on its comprehensive range of state-of-the-art technologies and services under the motto “Discover HEI”, linking it with key megatrends in the industry. The company will be presenting solutions that meet the current market requirements of print shops and postpress businesses optimally.

“In the current market environment, trust and reliability are top priorities for our customers. We are using our innovations to respond to customer queries and provide guidance that extends far beyond purely technical issues,” adds Schreier.

Heidelberg portfolio at drupa 2012 assigned to seven market trends
At the trade show in Düsseldorf, Heidelberg is presenting a portfolio that spans all key market developments in the sector today, thus underlining its leading role in the industry. This way, the company enables its customers to seize on the latest trends in the industry and build them into their operations for optimum results. The focus is on seven global market trends:

• Lean production
• Green printing
• Web-to-print
• Short-run-printing
• Differentiation through coatings and special effects
• Future in packaging printing
• Gaining an edge through the latest know-how

To reflect the trade show motto “Discover HEI” and give visitors a clear point of reference, each of these seven market trends is being assigned a “HEI” title.

“Our technological innovations and new services are geared first and foremost to driving forward solutions for green printing,” says Stephan Plenz, member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment. “We are the first manufacturer to offer the option of carbon-offset presses ex works. Heidelberg is also underpinning its green credentials by ensuring that its entire drupa presentation is climate-neutral.”

Heidelberg at drupa
During drupa 2012, from May 3-16, Heidelberg will be showcasing in Hall 1 an extended portfolio of products and solutions that have been developed specifically for the latest market requirements. The trade show presentation, held under the banner “Discover HEI”, will center on lean production (HEI Productivity), green printing (HEI Eco), web-to-print (HEI Integration), short-run-printing (HEI Flexibility), differentiation through coatings and special effects (HEI Emotions), the future of packaging printing (HEI End), and gaining an edge through the latest know-how (HEI School). The company is exhibiting solutions that enable print shops and postpress businesses to meet the latest market requirements in full.

Source: Heidelberg.