The two-day Packaging Days event took place at the Print Media Center (PMC) in Wiesloch-Walldorf at the end of October and was attended by 200 customers and industry experts from 13 countries who were given an opportunity to experience Heidelbergs products and application know-how in packaging printing first hand.
The production lines on show centered around the Speedmaster XL 75-LY-6+LYYL Duo and Speedmaster XL 105-8+LYYL presses, each augmented by appropriate prepress and postpress equipment. Postpress is particularly important in packaging printing as it offers the potential to stand out from competitors and increase sales. This is why the integrated production line featuring Prinect at the Print Media Centre in Wiesloch/Walldorf included not only presses but also die cutters and folder gluers in various configurations and levels of automation.
The presentation consisted of three blocks:
-Demonstrations on Dymatrix 106 die cutters, the Diana X 115 folder gluer, and the Speedmaster XL 105 and XL 75 Duo presses.
-One-to-one discussions with Heidelberg experts – this gave customers the opportunity to discuss their personal business situations and business models and to ask specific questions on configurations, applications, the Prinect workflow, customised solutions in packaging printing, motivation, leadership, and team building.
-Demonstrations for short runs in packaging printing on the Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor UV using Saphira consumables.
The highlight of the event was the demonstration on the Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor UV. Heidelberg is responding to the growing demand for short runs and customers desire to stand out from the competition. Printers can now enjoy the benefits of Anicolor, such as low waste and uniform colouring across the entire form, in UV printing, too. This makes it possible to print non-absorbent substrates such as plastics, enabling production of special applications such as advertising material, tent cards, folders, and plastic cards for hotels, purchasing departments, and gas stations. Generating an average of no more than 20 sheets of waste, this helps protect the environment and cut costs, particularly when working with expensive plastic materials. Saphira consumables were used that were developed for Anicolor and UV applications. Their special composition enables users to unlock the full scope and performance of the equipment and to achieve high-quality results for special applications.
The topic and the benefits on offer were reinforced by a user report from Armenian print shop Tigran Mets, which has been producing short runs on a Speedmaster SM 52 four-colour press Anicolor UV from Heidelberg since June 2011. The company, which has enjoyed success on the market for over 30 years, is also equipped with a Speedmaster SM 102-4 and Speedmaster SM 74-5+L.
The main message from the Packaging Days event was: With the right equipment and a motivated team, long-term success is possible. This was also confirmed by Roger Peter, Technical Manager at Swiss print shop CAG Cartonnagen AG, who said, You can only succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace by harnessing innovative technologies and machinery. This isnt the only reason why its important to keep up-to-date with the latest technology at the Packaging Days at Heidelberg. For me personally, it was also a great benefit to discuss topics with Heidelberg experts and people from other print shops. And it was interesting to see machines in action outside our own company.
