Heidelberg Rolls Out the Longest Midsize-Format Speedmaster

Customized press combines full range of technologies for exceptional luxury packagings

Since mid-2005, the longest Speedmaster CD 74 from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), measuring an impressive 21 meters, has been used at the production facilities of French packaging printshop Alliora. The Speedmaster CD 74-2+LY-P-6+LYLX has been customized to the specific requirements of the print shop and consists of eight inking units, three coating units, two drying units, and a perfecting device. All time-consuming inline surface finishing operations are thus incorporated in a single press. This is the perfect combination for Alliora, which belongs to the Ileos Group and mainly produces luxury packagings for cosmetics, perfumes, spirits, lifestyle products, and high-quality chocolates. The 760-strong Alliora staff generate sales of 80 million Euro at four sites in France and one site in Germany (Rodgau). The Speedmaster CD 74 is installed at the St. Hilaire site in Normandy. "We're impressed with the productivity, short setup times, flexibility, and quality of the Speedmaster CD 74," says Bernard Bros, project manager at Alliora, summing up its features.

Alliora prints cardboard, film, and plastic and makes full use of a whole array of printing stock supported by the CD 74, from 0.03 millimeter to 0.8 millimeter and the 60 x 74 centimeters (23.62 x 29.13 inch) format. The flexibility of this machine means it can be used for a whole host of applications, including packagings with up to 2/6 colors with single or double-sided protective, glossy or special-effect coatings, for straight printing up to eight colors with subsequent single or dual coating, and for matt/gloss spot coatings in the final double coating group. The high register accuracy, smooth sheet travel, and tried-and-tested perfecting ensure top quality and scratch-free print products. This also allows sensitive film and metallized printing materials to be printed on both sides in a single pass.

Customized small-and midsize-format presses conquer pressrooms
Customized presses are a growth sector at Heidelberg. One machine in every five in the 70 x 100 centimeters (27.56 x 39.37 inches) format has already been specially configured. Small and midsize-format presses are catching up. The Speedmaster CD 74 is at the forefront, with 20 percent of these machines being customized, many with integrated UV technology. Over 150 Speedmaster CD 74 UV presses have been installed throughout the world. The specially tailored customized presses are now no longer just supplied to industrialized nations but are also increasingly sold to emerging industrial nations in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. Customized machines enable users to offer innovative print products by using UV or hybrid printing, dual coating, flexo before offset, inline die cutting or pure offline coating, for instance.

The modular structure and varied configurations make the Speedmaster CD 74 the universal midsize-format perfecting press. Over 5,000 Speedmaster CD 74 printing units have been installed worldwide since their market launch at drupa 2000.

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The longest Speedmaster CD 74, measuring 21 meters, produces excellent results in Wiesloch. Since mid-2005, the press has been deployed in production at the French packaging printer Alliora.

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The Speedmaster CD 74-2+LY-P-6+LYLX consists of eight inking units, three coating units, two drying units, and a perfecting device.

For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Hilde Weisser
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 66
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 46
E-mail: hilde.weisser@heidelberg.com