With the Plate to Unit, Heidelberg is automating its offset presses even further, taking the Push to Stop operating concept unveiled at Drupa 2016 even further. At the upcoming graphic arts trade fair (16 to 26 June 2020 in Düsseldorf, Germany), Heidelberg will present the Speedmaster "the smartest and most automated "never launched (read Heidelberg Launches New Generation Speedmaster ). This sheet-fed offset press will be equipped with the Plate to Unit.
In a press release, the German manufacturer of printing solutions describes the principle of the Plate to Unit as follows: "The printing plates are transferred fully automatically to the individual printing units and the used plates are removed. This is the only way to achieve consistently high productivity with short print runs."
We will certainly have to wait a few more weeks to find out more, but the photo that accompanies the press release provides additional details. The new system seems to be installed on top of the 8-colour Speedmaster XL 106 to feed plates from the feeder area to the printing units, which - thanks to the AutoPlate XL solution that has been on the market for several years - can be loaded automatically.
"This system allows, emphasizes Heidelberg, both to reduce operator workload and to increase process reliability as damage caused by plate handling is reduced."
