Heidelberg has confirmed its commitment to the packaging market with the announcement that it is to move into large format sheet-fed presses. Development has already begun on a new generation of presses in the 6 (102 x 142cm) and 7b (120 x 162cm) format classes. Board member and director for engineering and manufacturing Dr Jürgen Rautert says the Speedmaster XL 142 and Speedmaster XL 162 are planned to be launched at drupa 2008.
"If we are serious about covering the packaging market then we have to address large format," he emphasizes. "If we are just in sheet-fed then we have to be right across the sheet fed market." This requires presses as well as die cutters and folder gluers.
"The bulk of folding carton packaging is still in the 3B size, but there are significant areas where boxes are only printed in the large format," he says. This includes cereals, pet foods and some frozen foods.
Plate making devices to suit the new sizes are also being developed, but the company is not currently revealing further details of the presses.
They are being assembled at the main German plant in Wiesloch in a specially constructed assembly hall. It is expected that the presses will go into beta sites during 2007.
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