Product category:
Printing Presses and Machinery (New and Used, Service and Repair)
News Release from: Heidelberg | Subject: Speedmaster XL 105, Speedmaster SM 102
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 August 2005
US Printer Proves Trend For Customised
Presses
Four customised presses with a total of 51 printing units from Heidelberg for Williamson Printing from Dallas, Texas (USA) have begun operation.
Four customised presses with a total of 51 printing units from Heidelberg for Williamson Printing from Dallas, Texas (USA) have begun operation The four machines comprise a Speedmaster XL 105 eight-colour model with coating unit, two Speedmaster SM 102 12-colour presses with coating unit and a Speedmaster CD 102 10-colour machine with three coating units, three drying units and an extended delivery - making it the second order for a customised press with 16 printing units
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 6 Jun 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The first press has been in commercial operation since May.
The installation of the second press will begin late August 2005 and the last of the four presses will be installed by June 2006.
The purchases will enable Williamson Printing to supply advertising material with a range of surface finishing techniques to its customers in the jewellry, fashion, automotive and home furnishings industries.
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Heidelberg will be supplying customers with the latest release of its automated prepress workflow, Prinect Printready System 1.2, with immediate effect.
Heidelberg said that Williamson's print quality and creativity have combined to make it one of the most innovative companies in the graphic arts industry.
With a workforce of 450 people and annual sales exceeding $80 million (more than 65 million Euros), it is one of the largest printshops in the USA specializing in high-end commercial printing.
The company said that the demand for such customised machines is growing all the time.
Currently, every one in five 102s (70cm x 100cm) presses has been customised.
Customers' expectations are becoming increasingly complex and demanding and a customised press allows them to specialise and occupy market niches that can offer competitive advantages.
Heidelberg added that it works alongside customers to ensure that installations meet their very specific needs.
The development, product management, production, service and spare parts departments all work together closely to assemble a package that is seamless.
Williamson Printing had a particularly large wish list of coating and surface finishing options.
The Speedmaster SM 102-12 with coating unit was personally inspected and approved at the Wiesloch site by owners Jerry and Jesse Williamson, who were particularly impressed by what they saw.
The modular design of the presses enables Heidelberg to create customised configurations outside the regular run of series production models.
The customised presses generally have more printing units than standard presses.
Most customised Speedmaster SM 102 models, for example, are long perfecting presses.
Heidelberg claimed that it has a global market share in excess of 70 per cent in that sector, which corresponds to an installed base of over 900 presses.
The long perfecting presses can also be configured for UV printing, as is the case with one of the two Speedmaster SM 102 12-colour models with coating unit ordered by Williamson Printing.
More than 16 per cent of coating and drying units supplied by Heidelberg are destined for customised presses, whilst the company also supplies offline surface finishing machines that support a range of coating and surface finishing options.
The Speedmaster CD 102 Duo combines two printing processes - flexo and offset.
The machine is claimed to support a spectrum of coating and surface finishing technologies and special effects and does so in-line.
Most customised models are ordered by printers working the 70cm x 100cm format market.
Those presses are destined primarily for Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the USA, whilst demand in China is increasing all the time, according to Heidelberg.
The medium 50cm x 70cm format is also growing in popularity and a Speedmaster CD 74 Duo is now also available in that size.
The Speedmaster SM 52 LD provides in-line surface finishing for the small format market and also supports punching and coating.
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