Heidelberg Exhibits Latest Business Solutions Designed to Maximize Printer Profitability

Industry Leader Introduces New Technologies, Enhanced Product Features at PRINT '05

Chicago - This week at PRINT '05, Heidelberg will unveil new equipment, consumables solutions and service offerings designed to make today's printers successful. These new innovations - presented for the first time to the international or North American market - reinforce Heidelberg's commitment to help printers run more profitable businesses. The company's broad range of prepress, press and postpress solutions will be on display at Booth #1200.

"Heidelberg is excited to present the latest industry advancements and technologies to our valued customers and the international PRINT audience in Chicago this year," said Heidelberg USA President James Dunn. "These new advancements are part of our continued promise to deliver innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies designed for customer success across all markets and industries."

One of Heidelberg's main attractions will be the XL 105 Theater - a special large-screen theater for live presentations that will house Heidelberg's new Speedmaster XL 105. The first product introduced in the company's new series of high-end offset presses known as the "Maximum Performance Class," the Speedmaster XL 105 boasts speeds up to 18,000 sheets per hour. The press is the newest member of Heidelberg's Speedmaster family of highly automated and productive printing presses, and produces the highest quality product at the highest speeds, on the widest variety of stocks. Setting the industry standard for productivity, quality and cost-effectiveness, the Speedmaster XL 105 is a must-see solution at PRINT '05.

Outside the XL 105 Theater, Heidelberg's equipment and technologies will be displayed in five key solution areas of the booth. Easily identifiable by color-coded signs, these areas will include Quick Print Solutions, Commercial Print Solutions, Industrial Print Solutions, Packaging Solutions and the Prinect Experience. Each solution center will house related Heidelberg equipment and will include an application center, where booth visitors can meet face-to-face with Heidelberg specialists to learn more about new printing solutions and technologies. Solution areas also will display "expert spots," or special presentations designed to educate attendees on the benefits of key products.

Among the new technologies and enhanced products featured in the booth are the following:

Prinect Solutions Center:

• Prinect Prinance 4.5 - For reliable estimating and order management, the Prinect Prinance Print Management System integrates all workflow processes in a print shop. The newest version, Prinect Prinance 4.5, will be incorporated into Heidelberg's Prinect Experience at PRINT '05. The new software features a JDF integrator, Web extension, remote Request For Quote (RFQ) and on-line ordering.
  
• Prinect Printready 2.1 with MetaDimension - The Prinect Printready System with MetaDimension from Heidelberg maximizes the level of automation, integration and local processing in a print shop and sets a new standard for prepress. The newly upgraded version, Prinect Printready 2.1, incorporates improved JDF handling and MIS integration via a new JDF Autogate.
  
• Prinect Signa Station 1.5 - The new version of Prinect Signa Station from Prinect Color Solutions enables fast, reliable and convenient impositioning and sheet assembly. Prinect Signa Station 1.5 is equipped with an intuitive interface, easy-to-use features and a reliable impositioning concept in which the folded sheet and print sheet are separated, ensuring maximum flexibility. The solution also includes a new Sheet Optimizer that enables efficient print sheet assignment and allows for multiple one-ups on a sheet.
  
• Plate-On-Demand for Prinect CP 2000 Center - Plate-on-Demand enables press operators to remake or replace damaged or defective plates directly from the Prinect CP 2000 Center press console in the pressroom. The operator of the Prinect CP2000 Center needs no prior knowledge of prepress processes - only the name of the job and the color plate to be output. If necessary, Plate-on-Demand also enables the press operator to change the priority of plates being imaged at any time, ensuring that the required plate will be next in the queue and resulting in only minor interruption of the production schedule. Heidelberg's Plate-on-Demand technology will be presented to the North American market for the first time at PRINT '05.
  
• MinispotTM Color Workflow - Heidelberg's closed-loop color management solution, "MiniSpotsTM," is used in proof and printing plate control. Small measurement targets are placed on the trim and measured by Prinect Image Control, which measures the entire sheet in one pass and automatically detects the MiniSpots from coordinates identified by Prinect Signa Station. The use of MiniSpotTM enables faster reactions to changing printing conditions by adjusting plate curves and ICC profiles for proofing. The new Quality Monitor software analyzes measured results and compares current production to house standards. If an ICC profile or other printing characteristic must be modified, the correction is performed by the integrated Prinect Profile Toolbox and Prinect Calibration Toolbox programs. The new calibrations are made available to the RIP for proof and plate output, and optimized for the next print job. This procedure enables monitoring and corrections to be applied while the press is in production, saving a vast amount of time and printing materials. The MiniSpotTM color workflow for quality monitoring and control will be presented for the first time in the United States at PRINT '05.

Quick Print Solutions Center:

• Printmaster PM 52-5-P - Representing the ideal route to growth for small- and medium-sized businesses that produce a wide range of commercial print jobs, the Printmaster PM 52 handles a broad spectrum of jobs and stocks. Proven features include the SM 52-like suction tape feeder, Alcolor continuous dampening system, high-volume inking unit and the Heidelberg Autoplate tool-less plate clamping system, which enables remote diagonal register moves on the fly. A new automatic inking unit wash-up device further expands the capabilities of this press. The Heidelberg booth will feature a five-color Printmaster PM 52 with fully automated perfector. In addition, a Printmaster PM 52 two-color press will be running in the Carton Craft Supply Booth # 234.
  
• Stahlfolder TA 52/6/4 - Ideal for short quick printing runs, variable imaging and commercial printing applications, the Stahlfolder TA 52/6/4 is a fully automated folder. Quick, accurate and extremely quiet, the Stahlfolder TA 52/6/4 reduces makeready and increases productivity while maintaining excellent fold quality. Standard features include automated side guide settings, automated fold roller settings and buckle plate settings in all stations. The Stahlfolder TA 52/6/4 also is equipped with the Stahlfolder extra-grip fold rollers to maintain fold quality. This folder will be presented for the first time in the United States at PRINT '05. 

Industrial Print Solutions Center:

• Speedmaster CD 74-8-P+L - At PRINT '05, Heidelberg will present the eight-color Speedmaster CD 74 with perfector and coater to the international market. Designed for high-end industrial and commercial printers, the Speedmaster CD 74 produces short and long runs at top speed. This user-friendly and highly automated press offers cost advantages through speed and flexibility. The new eight-color CD 74 prints runs of four-over-four plus coating with the highest quality and productivity. Designed on the basis of the well-proven Heidelberg 3-drum perfecting device, this new perfector allows basic perfecting without limits based on stock thickness or speeds. For the CD 74, this system is combined with the innovative sheet travel concept to give the press unsurpassed flexibility.
  
• POLAR Autojog / Offline Jogging - Making its North American debut at this year's PRINT, POLAR Autojog mimics human hands to arrange sheets and move on and off skids. Designed for label makers and general commercial printers, Autojog reduces labor, offers consistent flow, streamlines production and increases production capacity.

Commercial Print Solutions Center:

• Speedmaster SM 52-8-P - The Speedmaster SM 52 is the first press in its format class to be available worldwide with eight printing units, expanding the one-pass productivity in the 2-up format. This top-of-the-line press features the ultimate level of automation and ease of use with a new maximum production speed of 15,000 sheets per hour. Several innovations, including special air panels in the delivery that allow high-coverage printing on both sides without gutters, help produce the highest quality print results. This year, Heidelberg's booth features an eight-color Speedmaster SM 52 with perfector and Axis Control.
  
• Speedmaster SM 74-6-P+LX - Heidelberg's Speedmaster SM 74 is the ultimate perfecting machine for producing commercial print jobs in the half-size format. The press can be equipped with two to 10 printing units, a perfecting device and an optional coating unit. A new inking and dampening system ensures that the SM 74 delivers first-class print quality on every run. For highest productivity, the press can be integrated completely into a digital workflow system. A six-color Speedmaster SM 74 with perfector, coater and extended delivery will be on display in Heidelberg's Commercial Print Solutions center.
  
• Speedmaster SM 52-5+LD with new chamber doctor blade coating unit,  inline die-cutting unit and UV capabilities - Demonstrating Heidelberg's technology leadership in the 20-inch press segment, a five-color Speedmaster SM 52+LD will be displayed at PRINT '05. Equipped with UV interdeck and end of press dryers, this press takes the production process integration to a new level by printing, coating and die-cutting materials in a single pass. For the first time, Heidelberg will show the optional chamber doctor blade coating unit on the SM 52, making it possible to process pigmented coatings, such as metallic coatings or opaque white. In addition, the Speedmaster SM 52+LD will be equipped with the Vario dampening option and an extended stock range of up to 0.6 millimeter (0.024 inch).

Packaging Solutions Center:

• Speedmaster XL 105-6+L - Taking center stage in Heidelberg's booth at PRINT '05 is the newest member of the Speedmaster family of sheetfed offset presses: the Speedmaster XL 105. As the first press in an entirely new "Maximum Performance Class," the XL 105 sets the industry standard for the fastest makereadies, the highest real production speeds and the top level of printing quality. The press is designed for high-end commercial print shops as well as packaging and label printers. Multiple-up printers particularly will appreciate the largest format class that Heidelberg offers with an imaging area of 740 × 1050 mm / 29.13 × 41.34 in. The tight Prinect integration, ease of use and high degree of automation allows users to drastically reduce makeready. With a maximum speed of 18,000 iph that can be achieved on a wide variety of substrates, the Speedmaster XL 105 is the most productive press on the market. The innovative Hycolor unit and combined inking and dampening system significantly increase the amount of ink transferred. Specifically designed to ensure the highest level of print quality possible at maximum speeds, the Hycolor unit increases densities up to 30 percent without compromising on dot-gain and enlarges the reproducible color gamut. The press will be housed in the "XL 105 Theater," just outside Heidelberg's Packaging Solutions area.
  
• POLAR Fully Automated Cutting System (PACE) - PACE is the industry's first fully automated cutting system from POLAR. By automating the loading, jogging, buffering, cutting, gripping, transporting and unloading processes, PACE produces the highest-quality finished projects in the industry with the least amount of human intervention. PACE increases productivity, lowers costs and reduces waste. Separate elements of PACE's technology can be employed to streamline other production runs and requirements. Printing houses, converters of printed material, paper manufactures and print buyers interested in utilizing every inch of material benefit from the automated cutting function of the machine.
  
• Dymatrix 106 CSB - Built to deliver first class die-cutting and embossing, the Dymatrix 106 CSB offers high quality, versatility and greater flexibility to multi-purpose commercial printers. The high-speed die-cutter will be revealed to the North American market at PRINT '05 and will be housed in Heidelberg's Packaging Solutions center. With tighter registration, the Dymatrix can handle a broad range of stocks from light-weight to board varieties and produce sheets with fewer disturbances because of constant sheet travel.

Consumables Solutions:

• Saphira Chemfree Thermal Plate Solution - Making its international debut at PRINT '05, the Saphira Chemfree Thermal Plate is the latest addition to Heidelberg's family of high quality, value-added consumable products. The negative working, offset aluminum plates are offered alongside Heidelberg's latest computer-to-plate thermal platesetter, the Suprasetter, as the Saphira Chemfree Thermal Plate solution - an unparalleled market combination. The new plate technology was developed as an extension of technical advances established with the Speedmaster SM 74 DI's Saphira Thermoplate PL from Heidelberg. Designed for a wide range of sheetfed commercial printing applications, Saphira Chemfree Thermal Plate uses no developer, no water and no large footprint processor. The technology reduces chemical costs by eliminating high-volume water and waste associated with the traditional thermal process and is environmentally friendly.

Service Offerings:

• systemservice 36plus Service Package - Heidelberg will reveal its new systemservice 36plus offering to the North American market at PRINT '05. With the new offering, Heidelberg customers now will receive an innovative and expanded service package for a period of 36 months with the purchase of a new press. The concept of systemservice 36plus combines intelligent support services and maintenance inspections with repair service and parts to help ensure maximum productivity of Heidelberg equipment. The new package provides service intelligence for fast problem resolution using the latest service technology and new internal processes. In addition, Heidelberg trains customers to maintain the optimum running condition of their presses. With systemservice 36plus Heidelberg sets a new standard to deliver superior service to the industry.  

To experience these new technologies and solutions in person and meet with Heidelberg specialists during the show, visit Heidelberg Booth #1200.

Editorial Contact:
Manning Selvage & Lee
Kara Bikoff
404-870-6872
kara.bikoff@mslpr.com