Heidelberg continues to expand its Lifecycle business with the launch of ChromaStar, a line of automated ink-dosing systems. Designed primarily for packaging printers, ChromaStar enables spot colors to be produced directly on the press rather than being prepared manually or sourced in advance.
The lineup includes four models?ChromaStar X, S, M, and P?to accommodate different production volumes.
The ChromaStar X is the entry-level model in the series, featuring manual spot-color preparation, computerized formula management, and an architecture that can be upgraded to automation.
The ChromaStar S model, unveiled at Packaging and Label Day on June 10 and now installed at the Home of Print demonstration center in Wiesloch-Walldorf, Germany, is the smallest automated model in the series. Equipped with 20 metering heads, it is designed for print shops that use between one and ten metric tons of spot colors per year and is suitable for conventional sheet-fed or LED/UV printing applications, as well as hybrid printing that combines these technologies.
The ChromaStar M can be configured with 16 to 32 metering valves for conventional or UV-LED sheetfed inks, or, optionally, with hybrid technology. The metering time for a 25-kg batch containing three components is five minutes, according to the German manufacturer.
The ChromaStar P is a fully automated and configurable system that also supports 16 to 24 metering valves. It features a queue management system, and ink processing is fully automated.
"With the new ChromaStar line, we offer our customers?particularly those in the packaging printing industry?a highly integrated solution that improves productivity, quality, and sustainability." , says David Schmedding, Heidelberg's sales director.
ChromaStar integrates with Saphira Cloud, Saphira Check, and Saphira Control to link color formulation, dosing, and color measurement within a single production workflow. A proofing system rounds out the solution to ensure that the approved color matches the printed color.
