Heidelberg marked its 175th anniversary on 2 June with a week of celebrations at the company’s Wiesloch-Walldorf site in Germany, drawing over 1,500 guests from all over the world. The grand highlight is the opening ceremony for the Print Media Center (PMC) in its new look as the Home of Print.
Jürgen Otto, CEO of Heidelberg, greeted the customers, suppliers, partners, politicians, and representatives of civil society attending the ceremony with the following words, “A warm welcome to Heidelberg and a warm welcome to our Home of Print, the printing industry’s largest customer experience center anywhere in the world. We have now been the Home of Print for 175 years!”
“175 years of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen stand for outstanding innovative strength and unparalleled customer focus,” says Bertram Kawlath, president of VDMA Association. “As VDMA, we honor this success story, which impressively demonstrates how mechanical engineering companies from Germany and Europe set standards worldwide – yesterday, today and in the future.”
Rebranded as the Home of Print, the redesigned PMC tracks the company’s growth strategy for its core business and presents future-proof and specific solutions that will appeal to all relevant target groups. For example, various end-to-end production systems are available for the customer presentations in collaboration with partners such as Polar and MK Masterwork – from high-quality folding carton production with the Speedmaster series, high-volume folding carton printing with the new Boardmaster flexographic web printing system, and industrial label production using offset, digital, and flexographic printing through to commercial printing and hybrid print production (digital/offset).
The entire Heidelberg portfolio has been incorporated into a single digital ecosystem comprising Prinect software, equipment (including postpress solutions and robotics), consumables, service, training, and consulting.
In its very own data lab, Heidelberg offers a number of case studies to demonstrate how the company can harness its data expertise and use data analyses to help customers with their requirements and business model – when it comes to solving problems, integrating process steps, or boosting their performance, for instance. Customers can also benefit from the wide-ranging application know-how of the Heidelberg experts at the demonstration center.
“Our Home of Print reflects our growth strategy for our core business, which showcases Heidelberg as a collaborative total solution provider and end-to-end systems integrator for packaging and commercial printing,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at Heidelberg. “This is unique in the industry,” he emphasizes.
Format class 6 added to packaging printing portfolio
To coincide with its anniversary, Heidelberg has announced an important addition to its portfolio for packaging customers, unveiling the Cartonmaster CX 145 press for the very large format (VLF, format class 6, 105 cm × 145 cm / 41.34 × 57.09 in). By focusing in particular on high-volume folding carton production in the growing food, beverage, and consumer packaging segment, this system is plugging a gap in the company’s portfolio.
The reimagined PMC will, in the future, also be showcasing the Mastermatrix CSB 106 in the Heidelberg design. This high-end die cutter presented at drupa 2024 operates at a speed of 9,000 sheets per hour. The two new machines are being incorporated into the Prinect control software and will also interact with other components as part of a highly efficient end-to-end system.
Ecosystem for industrial digital printing extended
Heidelberg is extending its portfolio for industrial digital printing and integrating postpress solutions from CP Bourg and Tecnau into its Jetfire 50 ecosystem. This means Jetfire 50 customers will benefit from sales, software, service, and consulting from a single source. Thanks to this complementary portfolio, they can produce all kinds of end products in inline and nearline processes with varying page counts and final formats. Back at the start of the year, Heidelberg also launched the Stahlfolder Fireline concept to manufacture cut and folded products in conjunction with the Jetfire 50.
Unique experience
Redesigned as the Home of Print, the Print Media Center at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site covers an area of 9,000 m². Each year, some 1,000 personalized presentations take place, with customers usually bringing along their own print jobs so they can thoroughly test the machines based on their specific requirements.
No fewer than 120 Heidelberg experts are on hand to share their technical expertise and comprehensive application know-how, offering advice and support from the initial preparations through to the follow-up meeting after the presentations. Throughout the year, the company also organizes open house events for German and international customers. These events focus on the key industry trends in packaging, label, and commercial printing.
On top of that, Heidelberg provides around 100 guided tours of the PMC every year for visitors from brand manufacturers, schools, universities, and related sectors of industry. There are also regular training sessions for the Heidelberg service team. Besides the Print Media Center at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site, the company also operates a global network of further customer demonstration centers in the USA, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Switzerland.
