Heidelberg supplies Combistar Pro to Eukerdruck

Eukerdruck in Marburg, Germany, has taken delivery of a Combistar Pro energy-saving combination unit from Heidelberg.

The system was commissioned on Eukerdruck's new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105-8 P press.

The Combistar Pro is a high-end version of the Combistar combination unit, expanded to include energy-saving functions.

The system is used for controlling the press's temperature and supplying it with dampening solution.

The Pro version works like a refrigerator and employs the free cooling principle.

If it is cool enough outside the printshop, the press's inking unit is cooled using only this external source.

That is performed using an air-water heat exchanger and with minimal energy consumption.

The refrigerating unit is only activated at temperatures over 20C, while control is automatic.

The eight new printing units at Eukerdruck increase the capacity of the company's two-colour, four-colour and six-colour presses by 50 per cent, with the company achieving increases in efficiency with multi-coloured packaging inserts and brochures.

Heidelberg said that the Combistar Pro saves energy through free cooling of the inking unit and by using speed-regulated motors.

The re-cooling pump, which links the press to the external cooler and is an integral part of the Combistar Pro, can be speed-regulated.

The control of the Combistar Pro cuts electricity consumption by up to 50 per cent a year and the investment in the system pays for itself within a few years.

The Combistar Pro also simplifies alcohol-reduced and alcohol-free printing.

It achieves this with the use of its two-stage dampening solution filtration, which is sold separately under the Filterstar name, and a metering system for dampening solution additives.

The lower the alcohol content in the dampening solution, the more important it is to have precise metering of additives.

The slightest variations can lead to problems in printing.

Combistar Pro provides a metering accuracy of plus or minus 0.1 per cent.

In the event of problems, additional sensors and trend analysis help locate and eliminate the cause.

Dietrich Magerlein, managing partner of Eukerdruck, said: 'We have had the Combistar Pro in operation on our Speedmaster XL 105-8 P for a short time now and have succeeded in making significant cuts in energy consumption in our pressroom.

Eukerdruck has two plants in Marburg and produces pharmaceutical packaging materials in Germany and Europe.

Each day it produces three-million labels, four-million packaging inserts and 500,000 mini brochures.

Pharma Druck also produces labels, packaging inserts and mini-brochures for the pharmaceutical industry.

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