Heidelberg Debuts New Generation of Digital Presses

A good three years after launching sales of the Linoprint C series of digital printing systems, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is unveiling a new generation of digital printing presses that delivers even better performance. The new Linoprint CV and Linoprint CP models are geared toward improved flexibility and productivity in the cost-effective production of short, personalized and hybrid print runs. The new Prinect Digital Frontend sets a new standard in digital printing quality thanks to the use of Heidelberg Renderer (RIP) technology—which has been tried-and-tested in offset printing—and Heidelberg color management.

Linoprint CV offers greater flexibility due to white and coating functions and supports a large range of materials
With a printing speed of 90 pg./min., high quality standards and comprehensive functions, the new Linoprint CV sets new standards in its performance class. The system will be able to print with five colors, making it unique in its segment. Besides the four primary colors, the system also offers white with high opacity or alternatively a coating with high gloss properties as an additional color—either as a full-area or spot coating. Switching between white and a coating is simple, which means both surface finishing techniques can be used with flexibility.

Users can choose from a huge variety of substrates, ranging from structured papers to coated media, colored paper and synthetic films. What's more, because the Linoprint CV is designed for large paper formats, users can produce up to 700 mm long, three page folding brochures or posters in a single operation.

The multiple paper magazines in the system can be refilled on-the-fly, which keeps makeready times short. Several high-capacity magazines, which can be fitted with optional vacuum/suction-tape feeders, also ensure a continuous supply of paper without the operator having to constantly monitor the Linoprint CV. The system can thus also process long runs in a single pass, without interrupting production. A new, enlarged operating cockpit further enhances ease-of-use by helping the operator to both maintain a clear overview of every print job and re-run repeat jobs.

Linoprint CP offers outstanding productivity and comprehensive in-line finishing solutions
The new Linoprint CP produces advertising and presentation materials at a printing speed of 130 pg./min., as well as high-quality personalized print products, professionally bound books and brochures. The system has a modular design that safeguards a high level of availability. The image transfer and fusing units are physically separate, which reduces heat from affecting the process of image transfer and makes it easier to locate and clear paper jams. The standard configuration includes a vacuum/suction-tape feeder that ensures even difficult printing materials such as heavy coated media are fed into the press reliably. The in-line finishing units offer a whole host of solutions—from high-capacity stacking, perforating and folding all the way through to leaflets and books with adhesive binding. The Linoprint CP can also be used to process a range of materials, some of which can be quite challenging, such as structured papers and plastics. A color toner with a low melting point further increases the range of materials that can be printed. The press operates using a feedback monitoring system that automatically corrects toner density and thus delivers excellent color stability.

New Prinect Digital Frontend: More integration and certainty in the production process
The Prinect Digital Frontend newly developed by Heidelberg supports the seamless integration of both new digital printing systems into the overall workflow of a print shop. This means that all print jobs can be centrally managed in one workflow system, irrespective of the production process that has been selected.

To ensure repeat jobs can be carried out with greater certainty and reliability, all work processes such as job creation, preflight checking, color management and impositioning can be saved as linked sequences. This certainty in production also extends to the printing of personalized data. Furthermore, the Prinect Digital Frontend also supports the finishing options of the new Linoprint systems, thereby enabling several print jobs to be produced ready for sale in a single operation.

"The newly developed Digital Frontend from Heidelberg generates decisive added value for users," said Jason Oliver, head of Business Area Digital at Heidelberg. "Indeed, besides getting better quality and productivity from digital printing systems, print shops also want to be able to control and manage as many applications as possible via a central workflow. That is precisely where the strengths of the Prinect Digital Frontend come into play."

Everything from a single source
In addition to the new Linoprint systems from Heidelberg, digital printers can also benefit from a broad range of technical and machine-based services, training and consulting offerings and consumables offered in collaboration with Ricoh. This entire portfolio is designed to reinforce and extend the competitiveness and performance capabilities of print media companies.

Both printing systems and the Prinect Digital Frontend will be available from spring 2015 and will replace the previous Linoprint C 751 and Linoprint C 901 models.

Partnership with Ricoh is carried forward
In 2011, Heidelberg began marketing digital printing systems from Ricoh in the value segment under the name Linoprint and now, a good three years later, finds itself in a successful, strategic partnership with the Japanese company. To date, Heidelberg has installed about 500 Linoprint C systems worldwide. Heidelberg is now marketing the Ricoh presses under the names Linoprint CV and Linoprint CP as much more developed versions, particularly with regard to the software functions and the integration capabilities those bring. Heidelberg is thus underscoring its expertise as the only conventional manufacturer in the sector to successfully offer integrated digital and offset applications.

"Partnerships are the key to long-term market success in the digital sector. By marketing highly developed digital printing systems from Ricoh, Heidelberg has succeeded in establishing itself as a digital print supplier in the sector," concluded Oliver.

Source: Heidelberg.