Heidelberg presented several new solutions for folding carton production at its Packaging Days event held on 26 and 27 November in Hall 11 at the company’s Wiesloch-Walldorf site. Earlier this year in August, Heidelberg had announced that it would discontinue its high investments in the development of postpress and converting equipment and would instead outsource these from manufacturers such as Masterworks in China. The new Promatrix 106 CS diecutter and embossing machines at a speed of 8,000 sheets an hour and the new Diana Smart 80 folder-gluer unveiled at the company’s Packaging Days appear to be the first examples of its new converting equipment strategy that is particularly aimed at the emerging markets.
While the packaging sector is growing in emerging markets, we are seeing consolidation and productivity increases in industrialized countries, explains Stephan Plenz, member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment. The packaging market is of great interest to us. We meet its needs with appropriate press and postpress products and also with our Prinect Postpress Packaging print shop workflow, he adds.
The company says that the Packaging Days event this year is aimed at folding carton producers that require optimum quality and reliability for short to medium runs. The new Promatrix 106 CS diecutter and the new Diana Smart 55 and Diana Smart 80 folding carton gluing machines being showcased by Heidelberg are aimed at this target group.
Heidelberg has also said that development of diecutters and folding carton gluing machines continues and that there are new products in the pipeline. We can only assume that these are based on the outsourcing model in collaboration with companies such as Masterworks.
