October 29, 2003 -- At the end of October 2003, Heidelberg opened the new Environmental Information Center (EIC) in the foyer of the company's Head Office in Heidelberg. The aim of the EIC is to provide customers and other interested parties with clear information on the subject of printing and the environment. Located directly next to the EIC is the Print Media Center which provides practical demonstrations of printing presses complete with prepress and postpress operations. At the opening the Berufsgenossenschaft Druck und Papierverarbeitung (German Statutory Accident Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Institute in the Printing and Paper Industry) awarded the "Optimized UV Printing" certificate for the Speedmaster CD 74 UV. This once again reaffirmed the performance and capabilities of this press. "Environmentally friendly printing does more than just protect nature and the environment. It also provides printshops with a systematic means of saving money," explained Dr. Klaus Spiegel, Heidelberg's Director in charge of sheetfed offset, at the inauguration ceremony. Nine different periphery models from Heidelberg's Star System are used to explain how environmentally friendly, cost-effective and semi-automatic working can be made a reality. Visitors are able to see examples such as automatic ink supply with InkLine, alcohol-reduced printing with HydroStar and CombiStar, and cutting-edge powder supply and extraction using PowderStar and CleanStar. Environment and UV printing fit together perfectly The BG Druck und Papierverarbeitung praised Heidelberg's commitment to environmental protection and – a world first - awarded the new "Optimized UV Printing" certificate to the Speedmaster CD 74 UV press. This certificate contains the "Emission-tested machine" label and the GS symbol. It assesses how the UV protocol has been implemented on the press and calls for extensive protective measures. The Speedmaster CD 74 UV impressed through its extensive equipment, such as odor and ink-mist extraction, water cooling, optimized dampening solution filtration and the new InstantStart UV for reliable washing with UV dryers in standby mode. "A press with this level of certification is the perfect choice for every printshop that attaches particular importance to safety, environmental protection, occupational health and cost effectiveness", stated Albrecht Glöckle from the BG as he presented the document to Dr. Spiegel. This certificate will also help customers in their dealings with local environmental authorities and will also facilitate access to funding. Heidelberg was awarded the eco label "Emission-tested machine" for the Speedmaster SM/CD 102 series at the TPG trade show in France as early as 2001. This certificate has now also been issued for the CD 74. A whole host of product innovations – CoolCure UV, StaticStar and foil kit All these measures help Heidelberg demonstrate to customers that UV printing is not difficult and is not associated with health risks. Visitors to the Print Media Center can now see a CD 74 with complete UV equipment in action. Heidelberg is also developing further modules that will make UV printing even more efficient. Examples include the improved coating supply systems that will be available from drupa 2004, but also innovations that have been announced for dampening solution filtration or the new CoolCure UV for oxygen-reduced printing. For UV printers who prefer to use their Speedmaster CD 74 UV to print foils, the StaticStar, which will be available from drupa onwards, is a new static electricity eliminator and foil kit that will also be of interest to label printers. Further innovations relating to CANopen To provide customers with a perfectly coordinated press, Heidelberg decided back in 1995 to develop its own peripherals, have them manufactured exclusively for its own needs, and install them along with the press. CANopen enables the user to control the peripherals directly from the CP2000 Center. There is no need to learn new user interfaces or to walk long distances to the cabinets. From drupa 2004 onwards almost all CANopen-compatible peripherals will be incorporated into the Remote Service concept from Heidelberg. Presetting of the Star peripherals will also be possible by drupa 2004, thus enabling e.g. the preset values for the dryers to be stored with the job data on specific presses. The setting will then be uploaded for the next repeat job and the printer can start the job without too many changes or too much loss of time or materials. Heidelberg lives environmental protection Heidelberg has long been committed to the principle of sustainability. Heidelberg has already received many environmental awards for its work, most recently the German Environmental Reporting Award 2001 for the best sustainability report. The proportion of Heidelberg's production and development sites that now have a certified environmental management system has grown to around 75 percent. Heidelberg began publishing an Environmental Report as early as 1993. Since 2001 this has been in the form of a Sustainability Report covering cost-efficiency, environmental protection and social stability. Ten brochures have already been published in the "Printing and the Environment" series. The latest issue is devoted to UV technology. Heidelberg's development operations since 1999 have been based on the Quality Gates process which systematically incorporates environmental aspects.