Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has reported a successful market launch of its new Speedmaster SX series of sheetfed presses, with over 1000 printing units already sold worldwide.
The company unveiled the Speedmaster SX 52/SX 52 Anicolor, SX 74, and SX 102 series at the drupa 2012 trade show in May. The concept already employed for the Speedmaster CX 102 of applying high-end technologies of the Speedmaster XL class to the proven machine platform of the Speedmaster SM has been a hit with customers. This makes these technologies available to a broad base of users and delivers a perfect response to the trend towards shorter print runs, increasing numbers of print jobs, elaborate surface finishes, and environmentally-friendly production. Heidelberg highlighted these trends at drupa under the mottos HEI Productivity, HEI Flexibility, HEI Emotions, and HEI Eco.
The SX platform is targeted primarily at print shops in the commercial printing sector. This applies in industrialized countries where the intense competition is resulting in consolidation and investments in machines capable of delivering high productivity, exceptional flexibility or high-end surface finishing. But it also applies to emerging markets where customers find themselves on a growth path towards greater quality and volume or where new print shops are springing up.
Over 60 percent of the SX models are installed in Europe, a quarter in the Asia-Pacific region and over ten percent in South America. The rest are located in North America, the Middle East, and Africa. Environmental protection is assuming an increasingly important role in many markets. Our goal of providing customers with a press that is perfectly tailored to their needs has been met in every respect, said Felix Müller, Head of Product Management 70 x 100 at Heidelberg. All three series are very successful – over half of the SX printing units are for Speedmaster SX 52 and SX 52 Anicolor presses, which proves the A3 market is still very popular. With around a third of the installed printing units in the Speedmaster SX 74 sector, its evident that the high flexibility and coating capability have been well received in the market. Some 70 percent of the printing units sold for the Speedmaster SX 102 are for perfecting presses, which deliver the very highest productivity.
In general, the Speedmaster SX 52 spectrum ranges from two to ten printing units, optionally with perfecting device and coating unit. The optional Anicolor zone-less short inking unit reduces paper waste by up to 90 percent.
The Speedmaster SX 74 features a transfer cylinder with adjustable diameter. This cuts makeready times, particularly when changing from very thin to very thick substrates. The models range from two to ten printing units, with or without a perfecting device and coating unit.
The Speedmaster SX 102 series employs proven three-drum perfecting and innovative components from the Peak Performance class such as the wing grippers on the reversing drum. This ensures consistently high print quality on both sides of the sheet at maximum production speeds of up to 14000 sph. Plate changing with the fully-automatic AutoPlate Pro system cuts makeready times significantly. The configuration options for the Speedmaster SX 102 range from two to ten printing units, equipped with a perfecting device, and either with or without a coating unit.
All Speedmaster SX models support new technology in the form of PerfectJacket Blue for the impression cylinders and TransferJacket Blue for the transfer cylinders. Color Assistant Pro accelerates the makeready process and significantly reduces waste. It calibrates the ink zones based on the condition of the ink fountain liner and thereby ensures even faster inking-up for each job change. In conjunction with Intellistart process-oriented user guidance on the Prinect Press Centre, productivity is increased considerably.
