The Printing Industries of America (PIA), the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, has recognized the industrial inkjet printing system Primefire 106 of Heidelberger Druck-maschinen AG (Heidelberg) with the 2018 InterTech Technology Award. With 39 InterTech Technology awards in total, Heidelberg is the most decorated manufacturer in the industry.
“The InterTech Technology Awards recognize truly innovative technologies that have the potential to have a significant impact on our industry,” said Jim Workman, vice president for PIA’s Center for Technology and Research.
New era in digital printing technology and applications
Being the first commercially available industrial inkjet digital printing system in the 70 x 100 (40”) format, Primefire 106 is designed to equip packaging converters with the possibility to add extra value to each produced box, to achieve faster time to market with their products and to streamline supply chain costs with print-on-demand capabilities. Additionally, its direct-to-sheet 7-color imaging and outstanding color registration allows for variable content in packaging design and for adding unique security printing features for anti-counterfeiting, by making every box unique and traceable.
“The Primefire 106 is a flagship product in Heidelberg’s Digital Print portfolio. It takes digital production to a new level of productivity, quality and integration possibilities. What’s more, the combination of Heidelberg’s know-how and print expertise with the Fujifilm Inkjet Technology results in an unique offering for packaging customers seeking to enhance, complement and digitize their production,” said Montserrat Peidro, head of the business unit, Digital at Heidelberg.
Furthermore, the Primefire offers a resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi with initial production speeds of 2,500 sheets per hour; it aims to achieve volumes of up to 1.5 million sheets per month. Being a modular platform, the digital printing system allows for further speed increases and feature updates without having to replace the press.
“The Primefire is the start to a new era in digital printing technology,” said Dan Maurer, vice president of Digital Product Management for Heidelberg North America. “We’re extremely proud to gain the recognition by Printing Industries of America for the prestigious InterTech Technology Award this year. In addition, this is an exciting time in the graphic communications industry; we are eager to see how this new technology will impact the industry and our customers in years to come.”
