11.28.16
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has launched its new development center project at the company’s Wiesloch-Walldorf site. In 2018, the center for nearly 1,000 working places will be home to a state-of-the-art research facility for the printing industry.
Heidelberg is setting new standards by investing approximately €50 million in the new innovation hub. This will create the number one competence center in the printing industry, which has a global annual turnover of around €400 billion, a figure that is increasing.
Despite the difficult economic situation in recent years, the company at no time cut its research budget, focusing instead on developing new, innovative products and services.
The printing industry now requires new applications and control technologies. Alongside traditional offset printing, digital printing will also be part of the future and ensure that the sector enjoys continued growth. It caters in particular to the trend toward flexible and personalized extremely short runs. Digital 4D printing – the printing on three-dimensional objects made from all kinds of materials – also underscores this trend. It enables customized printing of glass, wood, plastic, and other materials.
Customers’ presses are networked with Heidelberg, which enables new services to be offered. As a result, maintenance work can be carried out and materials such as inks supplied promptly. Industry 4.0 is now part and parcel of Heidelberg, because speed is vital in both the offset and digital worlds.
“Combining development, service, and production at a single location close to the customer will make us even faster and more efficient in the future,” says Stephan Plenz, member of the Heidelberg Management Board responsible for Equipment.
Heidelberg is setting new standards by investing approximately €50 million in the new innovation hub. This will create the number one competence center in the printing industry, which has a global annual turnover of around €400 billion, a figure that is increasing.
Despite the difficult economic situation in recent years, the company at no time cut its research budget, focusing instead on developing new, innovative products and services.
The printing industry now requires new applications and control technologies. Alongside traditional offset printing, digital printing will also be part of the future and ensure that the sector enjoys continued growth. It caters in particular to the trend toward flexible and personalized extremely short runs. Digital 4D printing – the printing on three-dimensional objects made from all kinds of materials – also underscores this trend. It enables customized printing of glass, wood, plastic, and other materials.
Customers’ presses are networked with Heidelberg, which enables new services to be offered. As a result, maintenance work can be carried out and materials such as inks supplied promptly. Industry 4.0 is now part and parcel of Heidelberg, because speed is vital in both the offset and digital worlds.
“Combining development, service, and production at a single location close to the customer will make us even faster and more efficient in the future,” says Stephan Plenz, member of the Heidelberg Management Board responsible for Equipment.