Heidelberg organized a webinar on 25 March to highlight how commercial printers can venture into packaging printing using its technologies and solutions.
Joerg Daehnhardt, head of the segment team folding cartons at Heidelberg, began the webinar by saying that the folding carton industry, especially in the emerging markets, is growing fast despite the pandemic. If a commercial printer wants to get into printing folding cartons, he or she already has some equipment and solutions, such as workflow, press, CtP, and sometimes die cutter, already in place, he said.
Earnhardt discussed the extra equipment that commercial printers will require to get into the folding carton converting business. They include data for die-making, flexible press equipment, die-cutter with stripping facility and folder gluer.
Sean White, print media center demonstrator, Prinect, said that Prinect production workflow could be an essential solution for someone who intends to venture into the packaging business. Prinect, the integrated print, and media workflow, links together all the print shop departments. It automates the job flows and makes operations more transparent.
Florian Franken of the product management group – sheetfed highlighted the flexibility of Heidelberg’s Speedmaster presses, focusing on Speedmaster CX102 press. With speeds of up to 16,500 sheets per hour, the Speedmaster CX 102 can handle almost all commercial, label, and packaging printing changes and can process all materials, from lightweight paper to rigid cardboard, with ease.
“The Speedmaster CX 102 is the universal press in our portfolio, and it is suitable for almost all offset printing applications. It has been designed to process a wide range of substrates,” Franken said.
Heidelberg demonstrates the Speedmaster CX102 press
During the webinar, Heidelberg presented a live demonstration of the Speedmaster CX 102 press. Two different jobs were processed in the press. The first was a commercial job where 16 pages were printed on 135 gsm in 63X88 format. The second job was a folding carton job which was printed on a full size 70X100 300 gsm paperboard stock with an additional spot color and full surface coating.
Kirsten Haase, head of business development – packaging, provided information regarding dying cutters and folder gluers. She talked about the MK Easymatrix 106 die-cutter. With an output of 7,700 sheets per hour and short set-up times, the Easymatrix 106 C/CS processes materials from 90 to 2,000 g/m². Even corrugated boards up to 4 mm thickness can be processed.
Haase said that the more one grows into carton printing and converting, the greater the need for more efficient equipment to achieve a good and fast process. “A typical die cutter to reach this is the Easymatrix 106,” she said.
