Kennesaw, GA – Bell Incorporated has become the first U.S. company to purchase Heidelberg's new Speedmaster XL 162 VLF press. The Sioux Falls, SD-based company, one of the largest and fastest-growing independent folding carton producers in North America, chose the Speedmaster XL 162 6+LX press with aqueous coater and Prinect Press Center with Intellistart and integrated Wallscreen. This is the first sheetfed press for the formerly all-web company. The "Peak Performance" of the XL 162 was a driving factor in the company's selection of this Heidelberg technology. The new machine will be the first installation of Heidelberg's 64" VLF model in North America.
 
For Bell Incorporated, the acquisition of a Heidelberg VLF press is entirely consistent with the company's business approach, which is to combine investment in the latest high-speed production technology with a lean, entrepreneurial organization. This enables Bell Incorporated, which promotes itself as "The Face of Packaging Innovation," to deliver one of the lowest cost structures in the industry.

The company also is not averse to making investment decisions based on an understanding of its customers' needs.

In contemplating the purchase of VLF press, said company Vice President Benjamin Graham, several factors were of paramount importance, including enhanced production speed, reduced makeready times, the ability to handle a wide range of difficult substrates, the ability to handle long runs economically, and the ability to monitor color on-the-fly without compromising the performance of the press.
 
"The second installation of our flagship VLF press in less than a year is proof that this segment of the market is hungry for the kinds of efficiencies and improvements only Heidelberg technology can provide," said Jim Dunn, president of Heidelberg USA. "Our deal with Bell Incorporated represents a true meeting of the minds united in choosing the best technology to advance the success of a thriving business. Bell Incorporated and Heidelberg share a long-standing commitment to excellence and innovation."
 
"We were impressed with the XL 162 during our visit to drupa," said Graham. It didn't take us long to determine that the Speedmaster XL 162 would be a game-changing addition to our pressroom, as well as a means for us to provide the kind of customer service that has set us apart from the competition for decades."
 
All Heidelberg VLF presses are designed to meet the specific requirements of the folding carton and package printing sectors and deliver fast makereadies and high productivity on a broad range of substrates, all through a user-friendly and intuitive Intellistart interface. Some of the innovations on the XL 162 include:

• Prinect Axis Control, which measures color and register in the quality control strip;
• Prinect Press Center with Wallscreen, a state-of-the-art control station that combines press operation with color and register control in a single, central console;
• Single suction belt feeder, for the utmost precision in sheet transport.
 
As a result of these and other improvements, Graham anticipates a substantial increase in overall efficiency and a significant boost in productivity.

Post-installation, Bell Incorporated's pressmen will receive extensive training on the new VLF technology at Heidelberg's state-of-the-art Print Media Demonstration Center facility in Kennesaw, GA.
 
Bell Incorporated is one of the 10 largest, independently owned, folding carton companies in the country, and the world's largest supplier of paperboard envelopes. The company provides packaging services to some of the world's largest food manufacturers.