Heidelberg's CutStar Generation 4 has passed the 50 installation mark. The first version of this cutting system was launched at Drupa 2000, and since then the German manufacturer has continued to develop this technology, which enables the use of paper rolls on Speedmaster sheetfed presses. Two-thirds of the systems delivered so far are used for printing labels and package inserts.
Available since 2020, the CutStar 4 cutting system features many improvements over the previous generation. A completely new design, this version 4 connects to the Push-to-Stop automation system and Intellistart controller on Heidelberg presses. Combined with Heidelberg's Prinect workflow, the CutStar cuts makeready times in half. Paper handling and maintenance have also been simplified, the German manufacturer says.
Heidelberg's CutStar Generation 4 Compatible with Thin Media
The engineers also paid special attention to another aspect. "Increasing customer demands, especially for processing thin substrates such as label papers, in-mold films and papers for packaging inserts, were the catalyst for the development of the fourth generation of CutStar." says Markus Höfer, Head of Business Development for Labels at Heidelberg.
With the 4th generation, papers from 30 g/m 2 and films from 40 ?m can be processed without difficulty. The printing speed on thin substrates is 30 percent faster than the previous generation, thanks to a de-electrification device and a printing kit for thin substrates.
The success of these machines can also be explained by the fact that the proportion of sheets used in the commercial printing sector has increased considerably in recent months (due to savings on paper purchases), Heidelberg points out.
The 50th CutStar Generation 4 has joined U.S. printer Seaway Printing in Wisconsin, which produces books, brochures, catalogs, magazines and educational materials for publishers throughout the United States. With the CutStar technology paired with a Speedmaster XL 106-8-P, Seaway Printing has, according to its president, Kevin Heslin, increased "considerably its productivity".
