Recently, more than 140 customers from 21 countries took up the invitation from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) to attend the Print Media Center Packaging Days in Hall 11 at the Wiesloch-Walldorf plant. A number of fully integrated production lines incorporating prepress, press, and postpress equipment provided the international audience with impressive proof of the expertise Heidelberg has in folding carton production. The different production lines feature the Speedmaster presses XL 75, XL 105 and XL 162, each with appropriate prepress and postpress equipment. Postpress is particularly important in packaging applications. And this is why the integrated production demonstrations at the Print Media Center in Wiesloch-Walldorf include die cutters and folder gluers in various configurations and with different levels of automation providing different production capacities.

"It is extremely useful for me to take part in such an event with its detailed presentations of new applications and technologies. Unlike at trade shows, you can really get an in-depth look at the technical details here. This enables me to precisely plan new business strategies for my company," explains Cezary Nazar, President of the Cezar print shop in Poland. "I already have experienced how well this approach works. At a previous event at the Print Media Center, I saw a presentation on Duo technology (flexo printing before offset inline) and its possible applications. Back in my shop, we worked on a detailed implementation plan and then took the investment decision," he added.

There is growing customer interest in the Print Media Center Packaging in Wiesloch-Walldorf. This is because, especially in the current climate, it is vitally important to verify the technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the envisioned solutions in practice before making an investment decision.  Roland Krapp, Head of the Print Media Center (PMC), has the following to say in this respect: "Our customers are highly interested to see in detail how the various machines and systems perform, but it is also becoming increasingly important to have live demonstrations of how the individual components combine with upstream and downstream production steps. This is often where additional potential is hidden. Examples include saving time with automatic presettings, avoiding errors and, of course, identifying all involved production costs."

With this in mind, all the equipment and the associated specialists are not just available for events such as the Print Media Center Packaging Days. Potential customers can also enlist their services on an individual basis to verify the suitability of Heidelberg solutions for their specific jobs.