Industry & Business

Packaging is in the spotlight at Drupa where Heidelberg is exhibiting under the banner “Simply Smart” in Hall 1. A 3B/B1 format inkjet press designed for industrial packaging print quality takes centre stage, the Primefire which is a joint development between Heidelberg and Fujifilm.

Other developments announced so far include a second generation Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor, the new Prinect Press Center XL and an intuitive new operating system for all Speedmasters, an upgraded Speedmaster CX 102, enhanced Prinect workflows and a strong line up of converting machines from Masterwork.
Primefire 106 took just over 15 months and intensive expert exchange between R&D and engineering teams in Japan and Germany to come to fruition. Testing in-house continues and the press will then be field tested at a packaging company in Germany and elsewhere before coming to market in 2017.

Combining the inkjet know-how of Fujifilm with the application expertise of Heidelberg, the Primefire 106 can handle short runs and personalisation including bar codes, QR codes and numbering. The Preset Plus Feeder is adopted from the Speedmaster XL 106 technology. There is a conditioning unit prior to printing which coagulates the ink to get a more defined dot at speed. The water-based ink applied by the 1200 x 1200 dpi seven-colour inkjet unit is food safe. After printing, two more units dry and coat (full or spot) before reaching the Preset Plus Delivery. Heidelberg stresses the importance of the sheet control within the press and the colour and workflow capability provided  by Heidelberg’s Digital Front End which will drive the press.

By using Multicolour technology (the four process colours plus green, orange and violet) Heidelberg says it can provide high quality print and an even greater colour gamut than is possible with offset. It can print on substrates up to 0.6mm. Heidelberg engineers will service this equipment in the field and the inks will be sold as part of the Saphira consumables range.

Fire is the umbrella name for all its digital products and also on stand visitors will also see: the Labelfire (formerly the Gallus DCS 250 digital press launched last year); the Omnifire 250 for printing and coating on to 3D objects; and Versafire CP and CV, the commercial sheetfed toner-based solutions.

Heidelberg emphasises it is not only launching machines but a holistic approach to digital production. Its Prinect modular and integrated workflows have transformed efficiency in offset but with digital, where runs are shorter and personalisation is possible, data control and slick set up times as well as the business information feedback becomes still more critical. Each of Heidelberg’s digital presses is Prinect compatible and from Drupa Prinect Smart Automation will support the fully automated processing of a far wider range of products.

The integration of the Prinect Package Designer CAD software will enable packaging printers to fully automate the creation of standard designs such as ECMA and FEFCO and bespoke customer designs. Once the product code has been selected, the carton dimensions entered, the substrate selected and the available machines taken into account in the MIS or Prinect cockpit, both the contour of the individual repeat and appropriate sheet layouts are generated automatically. In addition the CAD data required for die production is also provided in seconds along with data that includes the number of repeats on each sheet, the minimum sheet format, the number of sheets required and the dimensions of the product. This data can be used for costing and production planning purposes, even if the design is prepared manually. This saves time and eliminates errors and inaccuracies.

On the offset side the arrival of a second generation B2 Anicolor will turn heads. The Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor 2 will make its first public appearance and will feature on the IST METZ stand in Hall 2, adjacent to Heidelberg’s Hall 1 location. The six-colour and coater model will be demonstrated with full UV functionality.

This new generation short inking press will handle a wider range of inks and a 20 per cent faster ink change facility.  Equipped with a new design, new feeder and the new Prinect Press Center XL 2 the Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor 2 will move into serial production from November.

The Anicolor Booster can be activated at the push of a button on the Prinect Press Center to allow the operator to access a wider density range, which shortens set up times and makes it easy to switch between coated and uncoated stocks.

There is faster wash up making it possible to change colours up to a minute faster. This will enable packaging printers with two or more ink changes in almost every order to get through two or three more orders a day.

The operator can now select “standard”, “short” or even “none” for the ink shut-off time, depending on the colour assignment from one job to the next. The shortened ink shut-off saves another 20 seconds, while eliminating it altogether reduces the set up time by 40 seconds.

Since its launch in 2012, some 200 units of B2 Anicolor have been sold worldwide with a 50-50 split between packaging and commercial customers. The new version Anicolor comes with a full range of Saphira inks and the ability to link in to its Prinect workflows.

The offset presses on show in Hall 1 include the Speedmaster XL 106-6+LYYL (raised packaging press with full logistic capabilities). There are some dramatic technology innovations which are to be shown on the press, which will slash set up times for the packaging printer. These developments will only be released at the show. Other presses include the Speedmaster XL 106-8-P LED and Speedmaster CX 102-5+L.

Heidelberg has announced a new Prinect Press Center XL for its Speedmaster presses. It combines a 65 inch Wallscreen XL with a smaller touchscreen pad which is easy to use, operating in a similar way to smartphones and tablets. It will connect into the Prinect workflows but also be a valuable interface between machine and operator. It can feature multiple information views, such as the machine, a job list, colour measurement charts and the current job. There are also helpful widgets to give the operator quick and easy help with specific operations covering, for instance,  status, plate on demand, overprint or pallet sheet.

Prinect Inpress Control 2 with its additional 20% waste saving capability has been introduced in the UK and now Heidelberg is adding Prinect Image Control 3, an offline spectral measurement device which can even measure opaque white so can provide colour consistency on transparent and metallised as well as standard colour work.

The new Autoplate XL 2 will be demonstrated, too. It provides a means of simultaneously changing plates and cleaning the blankets and impression cylinders to minimise downtime.

DryStar LED (Heidelberg has over 200 printing LED printing units running in daily production to date) will now be available on the Speedmaster XL series from B2 to VLF as well as the CX/SX 102. The Speedmaster XL 75 is getting a new feeder for Drupa 2016, a migration from the larger XL 106.

The Speedmaster CX 102 will also benefit from the adoption of features which have been until now the prerogative of the XL 106. The modular washing units which can be switched from unit to unit are capable of reducing machine downtime by as much as 80 per cent during a wash cycle. The fully automatic non-stop system has also been carried over to the CX 102. With the new AirTransfer System and the optimised gripper system there is no longer a need to adjust the gripper bar height to match the stock thickness.

Exhibiting in the Heidelberg hall for the first time, Masterwork will enhance its product range with several new developments, demonstrating how the partnership has developed over the past year. A new peak performance 106 die-cutter with blanking facilities will be launched at Drupa. It will deliver maximum productivity at a great price performance ratio. This new model will complement the entry level die-cutter, the Easymatrix, and the professional class for medium to long runs, the Promatrix 106CS.

The multi-function Duopress features a double cutting station, which can be used in many variations, embossing and cutting, Hot foiling and cutting and double hot foiling are all possible combinations. At Drupa this range will be further enhanced with a new model.

Folder gluers will also feature strongly with two new Diana Smart versions, new sizes and new configurations for 55-115 working widths.

Masterwork and Heidelberg will also show an offline quality inspection system with multiple cameras, to ensure that all added value effects and functions are precisely checked, qualified, and sorted, using a unique combination of  cameras, angles and  light sources. This system is the perfect solution for the high quality cartons found in the high end drinks, cosmetic, pharma markets as well as in bespoke presentation packs, which rely on perfect quality for every carton.

There are multiple installations and the cigarette market in China is a perfect example of how this technology ensures that the right quality of product reaches the shelves. These very high quality cartons featuring special effects and materials including combinations of metallised board, hot foiling, holograms etc are all passed through the vigorous quality control that the MK offline inspection system provides.