Custom-printed and therefore distinctive suitcases, motorcycle helmets, or ice hockey sticks, overhead luggage bins in airplanes designed with different motifs, and much more – Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) presents these applications in cooperation with well-known brand owners at InPrint 2016, which takes place from 15 to 17 November in Milan. The possibility of customizing high-quality, mass-produced items – and as a result addressing consumers and customers in a very personal way – opens up attractive, new and profitable business models for manufacturers of branded goods and industrial manufacturers.

This is made possible by Heidelberg’s so-called 4D printing technology and the new Omnifire 1000 for custom printing on three-dimensional objects of any shape and various materials. The company debuted the system at InPrint 2016, and in so doing significantly increased the spectrum of printable objects and surfaces. The new development complements the Omnifire 250 range already established on the market, providing users with a cost-effective way of realizing sophisticated personalization concepts. “What we are presenting is the customized future. Consumers today expect personalized, one-of-a-kind products. Manufacturers need an efficient and flexible industrial production process for this. That is precisely what 4D technology from Heidelberg offers with its Omnifire 250 and 1000 digital systems,” says Jason Oliver, Head of Digital at Heidelberg.

Automotive supplier Ritzi Lackiertechnik as the pilot user of the Omnifire 1000

Heidelberg has convinced automotive supplier Ritzi Lackiertechnik GmbH based in Germany (www.ritzi-lackiertechnik.de), the first pilot user, of the merits of the Heidelberg Omnifire 1000. Ritzi specializes in innovative surface finishes of high-quality construction elements, such as trim strips, switches, dashboards and other finished components, for various automotive manufacturers. For this, the company uses different methods and technologies. Ritzi is planning to integrate the Omnifire 1000 into its industrial production process to custom print and thus enhance both series parts and after-sales parts with a variety of colored patterns. First concrete projects with automotive manufacturers are already scheduled. “We spent a long time searching for a solution that would allow us to meet the exacting requirements of our customers for custom decoration of passenger compartment accessories in a cost-effective way in terms of quality, flexibility and cost. In Heidelberg we have found a partner that can supply us with an attractive overall package of innovative technology and matching service with the Omnifire 1000 ,” says Günter Ritzi, Managing Director of Ritzi Lackiertechnik.

Heidelberg driving digitization and further expanding its digital printing portfolio

With the presentation of the Heidelberg Omnifire 1000, the company is implementing its announced digital strategy and gradually expanding its portfolio. Heidelberg already made the digitization of the industry and digital printing the focus of its trade fair presence at drupa 2016 with the presentation of the Smart Print Shop. With the Heidelberg Primefire 106 shown there, the company presented the first digital printing system for customized production of printing applications in 70x100 format, in cooperation with its development partner, Fujifilm. “The digitization of the printing industry and the enhancement of digital printing are the clear trends and main growth drivers in our industry. We have systematically geared our strategy towards this and are driving digitization so that our customers can succeed in the market in the future also,” says Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board responsible for Equipment at Heidelberg.