Heidelberg’s post-drupa ‘Inform’ event, held in Auckland in June showcased the best the company had to offer at drupa. At times it became almost a battle among Heidelberg presenters as to which of the company’s new products at the show was the greatest. There were certainly plenty to choose from. The company claimed the launch of more than 50 innovations at drupa, the world’s largest printing trade fair.
Amongst the company’s contenders for highlights of the show was the new Speedmaster XL 105, it described as a jump, rather than just a step up from its predecessors in the Speedmaster range. The XL 105-6 is aimed at the label and packaging and industrialised offset market, and sets the standard in what Heidelberg describes as "an entirely new peak performance class", with new feeder, delivery, sheet transport system and inking / dampening system.
In prepress, Heidelberg’s newly launched Suprasetter CTP was highlighted at the Inform. The Suprasetter is Heidelberg produced, from the ground up, comes in 4-page and 8-page formats and is equipped with a new Heidelberg laser imaging system. It has five different speeds, various automation settings from manual to fully automatic and a high-performance system with Multi Cassette Loader (MCL) for flexibility. It is designed to present a cost-effective entry to CTP with the scalability to grow with the customer’s needs.
In the Heidelberg Speedmaster 52-8, Heidelberg claimed a genuine world first, the first-ever eight-colur press in A3 format. Shorter makeready, less waste and faster throughput times were all keys to the new press. Even in shops where only half the work is 4/4 in A3 format, Heidelberg claims the press will be a highly profitable investment.
