Heidelberg introduced its new B2 press, the Speedmaster CX75, at an open house at its Wiesloch factory in early April. The press, which fits in between the highly automated XL models and the SX 74 is also described as an XL75 Lite press. The press will receive its official launch at China Print and is expected to ship in November. The 15,000 impressions an hours press to be sold in 4 to 6-color configurations with coater and UV options has doublecircumference impression cylinder that makes it a carton printing machine. It will be officially presented at China Print in Beijing in midMay, where a Speedmaster CX 75 4-color press with innovative DryStar LED technology from Heidelberg will be showcased.
As a flexible and economical straight printing press in 50 x 70 cm format, the Speedmaster CX 75 can process substrates ranging from lightweight paper through to rigid cardboard (from 0.03 to 0.6 mm) thanks to its double-diameter impression cylinders. The presettings from the prepress stage for preset functions from the feeder to the delivery can be integrated via the Prinect digital print shop workflow, ensuring high productivity. Switching from the last sheet in one run to the first good sheet in the next can be done in under five minutes. The press is compact but with generous space between the printing units for good access and therefore quick and easy operation and maintenance.
For packaging with a wide variety of finishing options
With the Speedmaster CX 75, Heidelberg is closing the gap between the Speedmaster SX 74 and the Speedmaster XL 75 and rounding out its portfolio in the 50 x 70 cm format. The new press will appeal to customers in growth markets such as India with commercial printers migrating to carton printing – printers who need high flexibility but for whom a large number of automation components do not make economic sense at current volumes. The Speedmaster CX 75 will also be of interest to those print shops in industrialized countries that operate one or two shifts and are looking for an attractive price-performance ratio.
The Speedmaster CX 75 can be used for an extended range of applications thanks to its comprehensive equipment options. Production is possible using conventional inks and coatings as well as optionally UV printing. Printers can choose between three different drying technologies, with the fully integrated DryStar dryer perfectly matched to the sheet travel of the Speedmaster CX 75. The DryStar UV dryer covers a wide range of applications in terms of materials, inks, and coating types. The DryStar LE UV dryer (LE = low energy) uses highly reactive UV inks and coatings, and therefore needs less energy. The DryStar LED dryer is the most innovative technology, and achieves the highest energy efficiency.
A high level of automation is achieved among other things by the preset capability and almost tool-free operation of the press. The Prinect Center 2 machine control station with the Intellistart intuitive operator guidance system also results in fast setup. The Prinect Easy Control or Prinect Image Control spectral color measurement systems enable reliable and standardized printing.
“Exactly the right press for my business model”
The next stage is field testing, before the full production phase begins in fall 2017. Heidelberg has secured Werbedruck Petzold GmbH in Gernsheim in Hesse as a field tester. Its product range includes brochures, flyers, calendars, portfolios, catalogs, posters, displays, and packagings. It already has a Speedmaster SX 52 Anicolor and a Speedmaster CD 74 in its press room, both as 5-color presses with coating unit.
“We process grammages from lightweight paper up to cardboard with a thickness of 0.7 mm here and offer a variety of finishing options with dispersion coating, drip-off coating, and print varnish. We therefore wanted a universal press that could handle all of this and that we could also optimally integrate into our digital workflow. The Speedmaster CX 75 is exactly the right press for my business model,” explains Managing Director Sözer.
