Heidelberg Info Days Showcase LE UV Perfecting Printing

The Heidelberg Info Days at the Print Media Center in Heidelberg recently showcased state-of-the-art LE UV dryer technology (LE stands for Low Energy). No fewer than 235 customers from 19 different countries attended this event organized by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.
 
They gained an excellent insight into the efficiency and productivity of long perfectors and the associated postpress equipment. With more than 2,000 long perfectors installed worldwide, Heidelberg boasts a great deal of know-how in this field. This includes Perfect Jacket technology, which enables virtually identical print quality on both sides of the sheet. This applies to both long runs and the very short runs that are becoming increasingly popular.
 
 
A Speedmaster XL 75 eight-color press with coating unit demonstrated the latest perfecting technology and its impressive flexibility to visitors attending the Info Days. And the Speedmaster XL 106 10-color press on show set new productivity standards, operating at 18,000 sheets per hour in perfecting mode. But the highlight of the event was the Speedmaster SX 102-8-P+L with LE UV.
 
All press models – from the Speedmaster SX 52 to the Speedmaster XL 162 – can be equipped with LE UV. A Speedmaster SX 74-4-H with LE UV – an entry-level solution for commercial printing – has recently been added to the demonstration presses at the Wiesloch-Walldorf plant.
 
Heidelberg also presented its UV LED system, which was unveiled at drupa 2012 on a Speedmaster SX 52 and is currently being transferred to the Speedmaster SX/CX 102. Delivery of the first DryStar UV LED systems started in Japan at the end of last year and there are plans to roll out UV LED technology in Europe over the coming months and years. The big advantage of UV LED is its low energy consumption and the ability to control the switching on and off of LEDs for a particular format width and sheet length.
 
Another topic touched on was Anicolor technology, which has proved its value for rapid makeready with minimum waste and maximum productivity. Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor perfecting presses equipped with this technology will be available from the second half of 2014 and it is planned to offer them in conjunction with UV and LE UV technology in the first half of 2015.