Shengda Printing Technology recently became the first Chinese user of a Jetfire 50 industrial inkjet system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG). Since it started operating in June 2025, Shengda has already produced over 10 million prints.
Shengda is continuously forging ahead with its digital transformation and increasingly focusing on digital printing. Following its very positive initial experiences with a Jetfire 50 from HEIDELBERG, the company has now invested in a total of ten further inkjet systems of this type, which will be installed at several sites in China in the coming months, with the first two of the new order being installed in December.
This marks another milestone in Shengda’s strategic approach, which is geared toward the efficient mass production of digitally printed short runs. In addition to digital printing systems for the short run production, Shengda produces a large proportion of its orders still using sheetfed offset printing. Therefore the company has a total of around 200 printing units from HEIDELBERG in use, covering both large and medium formats.
The decision to place the sizable follow-up order was made following intensive testing and comparisons with other technologies available on the market. Shengda was won over by the comprehensive digital ecosystem of HEIDELBERG, especially the superior colour quality, the high printing stability, and the excellent system availability associated with the HEIDELBERG service promise. The HEIDELBERG global service network provides 24/7 rapid response. Even in the event of unexpected equipment issues, it can minimise production downtime through immediate technical support and spare parts supply, building a solid foundation for the company’s continuous production.
Another advantage is that the Jetfire 50 systems enable a significant reduction in personnel costs and therefore improve operating efficiency. Using Jetfire technology means Shengda requires between two and three fewer operators per shift. The Jetfire systems are a key part of the fully automated production lines for digital printing, which are fed directly with web-to-print jobs using the Prinect workflow and the JDF Import function. For example, Shengda now has a low-cost digital solution for producing short runs that involve high quality and/or customised covers combined with identical inside pages – all in a single pass.
‘The Jetfire systems’ level of automation and performance is impressive and perfectly matches our vision of a digital future,’ said Cui Wen Feng, owner of Shengda Printing Technology. ‘In the medium term, we are planning to install between 20 and 30 digital production lines. Investing in the Jetfire systems marks a key step toward this goal,’ he added. Shengda prints around six million A4 pages every month and has the potential to produce up to eight million.
‘Shengda’s investment emphasises the strength of our industrial digital printing solutions and the relevance of Jetfire technology for the global market,’ said Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. ‘It also confirms the success of our growth strategy for our core business,’ he continued. According to market assessments, the global digital printing market that is accessible to HEIDELBERG, including service and consumables, will increase from the current level of around 5 billion euros to 7.5 billion euros by 2029. With this in mind, HEIDELBERG has expanded its portfolio in both the inkjet and toner segments. This will substantially boost the company’s sales of digital printing solutions.
HEIDELBERG GRAPHIC SYSTEMS SOUTHERN AFRICA
+27 86 142 4756
stacey.ohagan@heidelberg.com
www.heidelberg.com/za
