World premiere at Interpack 2023 for Heidelberg. At the packaging trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 4-10, the printing press manufacturer unveiled a brand new press, the Boardmaster. Intended for the production of folding cartons, especially for the food and beverage industry, the Heidelberg Boardmaster is a high-volume flexographic rotary printing system.
"With the Heidelberg Boardmaster, we are addressing key customer challenges in the packaging market - cost pressure, skills shortages and the need to optimize productivity and sustainability." says Heidelberg CEO Ludwin Monz.
Heidelberg Boardmaster, up to 90% availability
The Boardmaster handles 70 and 800 g/m² substrates 2 with a width of up to 1670 mm.
Each printing unit has two printing units. While one unit is in production, the second is prepared for the next job.
And with a print speed of up to 600 m/min, this Heidelberg Boardmaster press has impressive productivity, reaching 90 percent availability - twice as high as another flexo press, according to the German manufacturer.
The solution is designed to significantly reduce the total cost of ownership for industrial packaging customers. Its development, carried out at the Heidelberg Competence Center in Weiden, Germany, was conducted in collaboration with international packaging customers. The manufacturer says the first systems have already been installed, but does not disclose further details.
Heidelberg has also developed the Heidelberg Intellimatch pre-press plate and sleeve scanner, which monitors print quality and ensures the adjustment of printing plates.
Reduced environmental impact and modular design
Resource conservation was a central point in its design. Less than ten meters of paper waste are required per job change. Thanks to its heat recovery capabilities, which reduce energy consumption, the press is said to be far less energy intensive than offset printing. Finally, the Boardmaster works with UV inks but also with water-based inks, which do not interfere with recycling.
Its modular design allows users to adapt the press to market developments. For example, it is possible to add modules for laminating, cold foil stamping, digital printing, rotary embossing, screen printing with a roll-to-roll, roll-to-shear or roll-to-cutter configuration.
"The Heidelberg Boardmaster enables industrial packaging producers to significantly reduce their operating costs. With its many customer benefits, the Boardmaster is also an attractive alternative for many users who have so far opted for VLF (very large format) sheetfed offset printing." says Christian Steinmassl, Head of the Packaging Segment at Heidelberg.
