Athesia Druck is part of the Athesia Group, a long‑established media and printing company headquartered in Bolzano. With around 170 employees, the print division produces newspapers, magazines, books, and other editorial products for both the Italian and international markets. Reliability, quality, and efficiency have always been central to their operations.
The decision to invest in the Speedmaster XL 106‑8‑P 21K was made at drupa 2024. Tailored specifically to the needs of publishing print, the press builds on the success of Athesia’s first Speedmaster XL 106‑8‑P, purchased at drupa 2016 and commissioned in 2017. That earlier installation marked the beginning of a strong and trusting partnership between Athesia and HEIDELBERG—one that continues to evolve.
The standout feature of the new press is the Digital Infeed System. This innovative sheet‑handling technology operates without a pull mark and reduces setup effort to an absolute minimum. It ensures precise, stable sheet alignment even at the highest production speeds—an essential factor for Athesia’s demanding editorial workloads.
“We needed to increase our production capacity without compromising on quality or delivery reliability,” says Markus Bamhackl, Head of Sheetfed Offset & Digital Printing at Athesia Druck. “At the same time, we wanted to automate more processes and reduce waste. The new press gives us exactly that.”
With speeds of up to 21,000 sheets per hour and the Push‑to‑Stop concept for autonomous production, the Speedmaster XL 106‑8‑P 21K delivers a significant boost in efficiency. But for Athesia, the real game‑changer is DIS.
“The Digital Infeed System has exceeded our expectations,” Bamhackl explains. “Sheet alignment is so precise that we don’t have to make any quality compromises — even at maximum speed.”
The operators share the same enthusiasm. “The machine runs like clockwork,” says one of the press technicians. “Thanks to DIS, we can fully focus on print quality. The infeed system does its job quietly and reliably.”
For Athesia Druck, the investment is more than a technical upgrade: it’s a strategic move to secure long‑term competitiveness in publishing print.
“With the Speedmaster XL 106‑8‑P 21K, we’re laying the foundation for the future of editorial printing in South Tyrol,” says the company’s management. The CEO of the Athesia Group adds: “This investment reflects our strong partnership with HEIDELBERG and our ambition to stay one step ahead technologically.”