The Heidelberg Packaging Days opened on the evening of 7 November, at the iconic glass-and-steel Print Media Academy building in the city with chief executive officer Rainer Hundsdorfer welcoming the assembled printers, converters and large contingents of print journalists from Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The Packaging Days demonstrations of a large number of the company’s packaging presses and converting equipment from its partner MasterWork took place the next day at the newer Print Media Academy and demonstration center at the company’s main manufacturing site in Wiesloch just outside the city. Apart from Hundsdorfer’s welcome, a short keynote was delivered by Steffen Schnizer of Multi Packaging Solutions which just three months ago became the first customer to install a Heidelberg Primefire B1 digital press.
The demonstrations at Wiesloch showed Heidelberg’s strong focus on delivering value to the packaging converter with the multicolor presses and coaters showing value additions that enable them to be the most innovative and profitable suppliers to leading global brands. The demonstrations of the XL75 Anicolor 8-color plus double coater, the XL106 8-color with double coater and foiler and the XL145 6-color plus coater running at a full speeds of 18,000 showed the company’s workflow and make-ready software prowess.
Cartons using Heidelberg‘s Multicolor 7-color software and the new Intellistart II lining up the jobs on the press consoles demonstrated the company’s extensive domain knowledge that is being incorporated increasingly in software-based solutions that enable its customers to be the most efficient innovators. MasterWork diecutters with foiling and blanking options and a range of folder-gluers rounded out the company’s comprehensive packaging options in an atmosphere where customers could explore their own futuristic solutions.
Multi Packaging Solutions
We had an opportunity to visit the first installation of the Primefire 106 B1 digital press at Multi Packaging Solutions, which is a member of the West Rock group in nearby Obersulm. Schnizer explained that for his company digital means a new level of offerings to his customers that go beyond mere digital printing and offer a range of security and interactive packaging solutions. “Digital for us is not only digital printing. Digital is really helping our brand owners to be more successful.”
The highlight was, of course, to see the Primefire 106 in live production inside a sophisticated plant where it was meant to and where it well matched the quality of Multi Packaging Solutions’ impressive array of special application sheetfed offset presses. And at first look, the press meets the high standard of color reproduction quality and precision that is a part of the Heidelberg promise. As Schnizer said, “We are a leading producer of high-quality cartons for the cosmetic industry and we do some work for the luxury liquor brands. Although within the West Group we have had experience with digital for 17 years, until the Heidelberg Primefire 106 press, digital was not good enough for high value cosmetic and personal care cartons. It is early days, but so far we are pleased with the results of our partnership with Heidelberg.”
Located just 90 minutes from Heidelberg’s Wiesloch factory, Multi Packaging Solutions has pioneered several packaging innovations in partnership with Heidelberg. These include the development of full UV interdeck and end-of-press coating solutions wherein the first presses were installed at Obersulm and went on to become industry benchmarks. At the same time Schnizer is able to already enumerate several ways in which the new Primefire becomes a part of the company’s solutions in delivering innovation and value to its customers. As and when Multi Packaging Solutions is able to show the value and possibilities of the Primefire project, the investment could also have considerable value for the other members of the West Rock group.
