Heidelberg is increasing the printing speed of its Speedmaster XL 106 offset press from 18,000 to 21,000 sheets per hour, becoming "the fastest sheet-fed offset press in the world" according to the German brand. Its annual production increases to over 100 million folding boxes.
To achieve this speed, the manufacturer has modified some 200 machine components. For example, two servomotors now drive the feeder directly, and the gripper bars at the delivery have been lightened.
The Speedmaster XL 106 offers an 8 to 10 percent increase in net output and, if the full productivity potential is utilized, a payback in about two years, Heidelberg points out.
"Since its market launch in 2004, Heidelberg's XL technology has set the standard for productivity, performance and reliability for high-end applications in our industry. Since then, Heidelberg has continued to improve this platform." says Ludwin Monz, CEO of Heidelberg. "With this Speedmaster XL 106, Heidelberg is taking sheetfed offset printing performance to the next level and enabling folding carton manufacturers, in particular, to become more competitive."
Cardbox Packaging, the pilot company for the new press, expects a significant increase in productivity.
Roland Schöberl, managing director of the Austrian-based cardboard packaging manufacturer with 250 employees, says: "Competition is fierce in the international packaging market. We do not compromise on quality, reliability and on-time delivery. Consistently high productivity is a key competitive factor in this regard.âeuros¦ After the start-up phase, we expect it to bring us a sharp increase in productivity."
