Page 32 - PWM2025_OCTOBER EBOOK

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Star product

Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 2024

Latest version of Heidelberg’s flagship press is said to “compete with web offset” in productivity, says Simon Eccles

Two-colour perfectors are being used
for pharmaceutical data sheets, with a
“lightweight equipment package” for 37,
40 and 45gsm papers, he adds.

How does it work?
The underlying technology is standard
offset lithography with conventional
modern inking and damper systems,
albeit with sophisticated AI-assisted pre-
sets, with metering controls and feed-
back based on closed-loop quality
monitoring and adjustments. A new
fourth-generation of the optional Cutstar
roll-to-sheet feeder can change reels in 3.5
minutes. An optional Contiweb unit allows
What does it do? cially announced and demonstrated at non-stop reel changes.
It’s the latest version of Heidelberg’s Drupa in May. Heidelberg hasn’t The ‘Push to Stop’ automation intro-
flagship Speedmaster B1+ offset litho changed the press name, but Drupa mate- duced in 2016 has been expanded, and
press. It’s a sig-nificant update of the all- Specifications rials refer to the “Peak Performance gen- Heidelberg now claims that “in commercial
new model first seen in 2016, unveiled eration”.
last year at Drupa with sig-nificant new Process: Offset litho Target markets are grouped into com- printing, 98% of manual interventions
mechanical, electronic and software with options for mercial printers, folding carton convert- across the entire value chain can be elimi-
automation, adding up to a claimed 15% inline coating, foil- ers and label printers, with some overlap. nated compared to production that doesn’t
productivity increase. ing, embossing This is Heidelberg’s highest perfor- utilise Push to Stop”.
AI helps with some setup and running Ink types: Heatset, mance press with 21,000sph max, but A simple plate-only job change can be
operations, and the press can be inte- mercury UV, low- more emphasis is put on the sellable down to 1.5 minutes, Rockley says. In a typ-
energy UV, UV-LED
grated within Heidelberg’s broad Prinect throughput, due to very fast job changeo- ical com-mercial web-to-print run, he says,
workflow management infrastructure Max speed: vers and reduced startup waste (25% less
alongside in-house or partner-built 18,000sph (stand- than the 2016 version). there may be 16 or 32 jobs per plate set, for
platemaking and finishing lines. ard straight print- “We are starting to see machines now runs of 1,500 sheets. “With 18,000 sheets
The XL 106 is available in a huge range ing presses), achieving up to 90m sheets per year,” per hour, in five minutes it produces 1,500
of configurations from two-colour per- 15,000sph (stand- says Rockley. “That’s not on 100,000 run sheets, and mak-eready takes 1.5 minutes.
fectors, through single-sided packaging ard perfecting ), lengths because they don’t really exist So in 6.5 minutes from the last sellable
or labels models, to 22-plus production 18,000sph (option anymore. The average im-pression sheet to the next sellable sheet, 16 or 32 jobs
unit perfectors (the longest so far deliv- on perfectors), counts sits around about 4,500 sheets in have been produced, with sheets inspected
21,000sph (option)
ered), with a choice of multiple coaters, B1 in the commercial/magazine market.”
driers, inspection units and automatic Max sheet size: The most exotic long configurations both sides for quality, all waste sheets
reject sheet ejection. 750x1,060mm are being used for luxury packaging pro- ejected and the machine hasn’t stopped.”
duction, he says. “For example a cus- The new fully integrated Prinect
When was it introduced and what tomer may choose to have a coating unit Inspection Control 4 checks both sides of
are the target markets? followed by a couple of drying units, fol- the sheet. An important innovation in the
According to Matt Rockley, EMEA lowed by various numbers of printing 2016 XL106 was Hycolor Multidrive inde-
business manager (equipment), units, then a perfector and more mul- pendent control of inking and dampening
Heidelberg invested €70m (around tiple printing units, a foiling unit, fol-
£60m) on XL 106 developments in the lowed by coating units, dryers, even more units. If there are unused printing units it
three years leading up to 2024. The new printing units at the end of that, and a can wash them while the press is running a
features were available on presses being Kocher+Beck embossing unit on the job, or switch coating fluids and anilox roll-
delivered from early 2024, but were offi- end.” ers.
The new features were available on presses being delivered from early 2024.

30 PrintWeek MENA October 2025 www.printweekmena.com