China is now the largest individual market for Heidelberger Druckmaschine AG (Heidelberg) and continues to offer excellent potential for growth. The improving standard of living is increasing expenditure on quality commercial and packaging materials and this in turn is boosting the number of print shops investing in state-of-the-art printing technology. Packaging printing is the fastest growing segment of this market and is predicted to enjoy growth rates of 10 percent per annum over the next few years. Numerous Chinese print shops visiting drupa signed purchase agreements for printing presses produced locally in Qingpu as well as for drupa innovations from Wiesloch-Walldorf. Orders were also received for the Suprasetter CtP platesetter, which can be integrated into existing Prinect workflows to ensure reliable and consistent color management in print. 

Great demand for 30 x 50 cm format with Speedmaster SM 52 
and SX 52
Anhui Star Print ordered a four-color Speedmaster SM 52 press assembled at the Heidelberg site in Qingpu. Anhui Star Print had been founded in 2006 and primarily prints glossy magazines in the upper price segment. Anhui is the leading print shop in the region. It opted for a four-color Printmaster PM 52 from Qingpu in the start-up phase and was immediately enthusiastic about the high stability, efficiency, and quality of the press. In the years that followed, Anhui Star Print acquired an average of one machine per year. "We are delighted about our continued close cooperation with Heidelberg and are looking to become the 'star' of the Chinese printing market," explains Yang Dong, CEO of Anhui Star Print. 

Two print shops from the Nanhai district have also ordered several machines. Shenzhen Liangbida ordered a Speedmaster SX 52 five-color press and a Suprasetter A 75 CtP platesetter at drupa. The company had been founded in 2008 and is active in the research and development, production, and sale of various smart cards, thereby making it an important high-tech company in the region. Shenzhen Liangbida already has several four-color sheetfed offset presses from Heidelberg. With the new machine, CEO Chen Hailiang intends to become market leader in the smart card sector and to consequently advance the company's corporate philosophy of "reliability, expertise, sustainability, and innovation". 

In just a few weeks' time, Yifeng Guicheng Printing will also be working with a Speedmaster SX 52 five-color press with UV coating unit. The print shop has grown steadily since it had been founded in 2004. The original machine park of single-color presses has given way to an assembly of presses that is among the most modern in the world. Yifeng Printing is the only commercial print shop in Foshan employing a complete solution from Heidelberg - comprising the Suprasetter CtP platesetter, several Speedmaster presses, and a Stahlfolder folding machine. 

Productivity boosted with Speedmaster SX 102 and CX 102
The Speedmaster SX 102 and CX 102 presses are a particular source of interest among Chinese print shops. Chutian Print Enterprise, a member of the Hubei Daily Media Group, has signed a purchase agreement for an eight-color Speedmaster SX 102 perfecting press. Its customer base covers various sectors of business including newspaper, magazine, book, and packaging printing. Over the years, Hubei Daily has invested in Speedmaster M 52, SM 102, and CD 102 presses for members of its group. Hubei Daily is looking to use the new Speedmaster SX 102 to expand its capacities in sheetfed offset and to continue establishing its base in commercial printing. 

The first Speedmaster CX 102 in north-west China is to be installed at Ningxia Phoenix Printing in several weeks. The Chinese print shop has purchased this four-color press in order to reinforce its position on the rapidly growing local market. Ningxia Phoenix Printing had been established in 2003 as an authorized print shop for the press office of the Ningxia autonomous district and is equipped with state-of-the-art digital image processing programs, several Speedmaster presses, and various postpress units, including Stahlfolder folding machines.

Anhui Huayun Printing aims to win a share of the growing Chinese packaging market with a new four-color Speedmaster CX 102. This press improves the flexibility and reliability of production and guarantees high quality and productivity - factors that are important for customers from business and the publishing industry. Anhui Huayun Printing had been founded over ten years ago and is a member of the Anhui Province printers' association. CEO Wu Dahua is secretary general of the printers' association for the city of Hefei and has made it his goal to make Huayun the driving force behind the printing industry in the Anhui region. Huayun Printing has been working with Heidelberg since 2002. Its first imported machine was a Speedmaster CD 102, which was followed by a Speedmaster SM 52 and various postpress units. 

First Speedmaster XL 106 in China used for packaging printing
The Chinese packaging print shop Jiangsu Jingdu Print has signed a purchase agreement for a Speedmaster XL 106 nine-color perfecting press with coating unit - the first machine of its kind in Jiangsu Province. The 75 x 106 cm (29.52 x 41.73 in) format for packaging and commercial printing reduces paper consumption. The machine offers exceptional perfor¬mance, with a peak value of up to 18,000 sph in perfecting mode and integrated inkjet systems. Jiangsu Jingdu Print Enterprise Ltd. is a stock corporation with private participation. It had been founded in 2002 and, over the last few years, has purchased two Speedmaster CD 102 presses and has become firmly established on the packaging print market. Its customers include SMEs such as Colgate, the Jiangsu Sanxiao Group, and Wuhu Sanyi Pharma, one of the largest manufacturers in the Chinese pharmaceuticals industry.