Mexican packaging print shop Grupo Reyes Hermanos with its two companies Imprenta Reyes Hermanos and Cimmex in Mexico City recently installed an extensive range of machines from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). A new seven-color Speedmaster XL 75 with coating unit, UV technology, and the Prinect Image Control color quality system is now being used in production at both locations. The press for Cimmex is the 1,000th Speedmaster XL 75 produced since it was unveiled at drupa 2008. The press is supplied from a new Suprasetter 75 platesetter. Both sites have also invested in comprehensive Prinect software modules and two Polar 115 cutters. 

In 1968, Francisco Reyes took over the commercial print shop founded by his father in 1950. His three sons - Francisco, Gerardo, and Javier - and daughter Alejandra are now the third generation to run this family business. The company has continuously developed its activities toward packaging printing, where it is expanding in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. In 2007, Cartoempaques Impresos de Mexico, or Cimmex for short, was founded in response to the rising demand for folding cartons in these sectors. 

Proven technology - over 2,600 Speedmaster CD 74/XL 75 presses in use worldwide Imprenta Reyes Hermanos currently has a workforce of 170, while Cimmex has 95. From its beginnings in letterpress printing, the Group today focuses on small-format folding carton printing - 70% in the cosmetics sector and 30% in pharmaceuticals. Its customers are mainly located in Mexico, but the Group has plans to grow their exports to other countries in the future, including increasingly to the U.S. 

UV specialist for high-finish folding cartons in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors 
Grupo Reyes Hermanos has always enjoyed an excellent partnership with Heidelberg and has been able to continuously drive growth by investing in state-of-the-art equipment. Both sites already have a Speedmaster CD 74 with UV and, since 2010, Imprenta Reyes Hermanos has also had a Speedmaster XL 75-6+LYYL dual-coating press, also with UV technology, to enable production of increasingly complex jobs inline. The Group now has a total of 38 Speedmaster printing units and specializes in high-finish packaging in premium quality and small volumes. This is all the more important, as pharmaceutical products are also sold in supermarkets in Mexico. They therefore need to make an impression at the point of sale, just like cosmetic packaging. Given the good experiences the Group has had with inline surface finishing using the current machines and the increasing customer demand for it, it is putting in place plans for an eight-color press or even a Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor that will enable it to focus more intensively on international business. 

The success of this proven technology in the 50 x 70 centimeter (19.69 x 27.56 inch) format began at drupa 2000 with the market launch of the Speedmaster CD 74, which has seen sales of over 1,600. This was followed at drupa 2008 by the enhanced Speedmaster XL 75, with 1,000 presses installed in six years. Print shops value its exceptionally high level of automation from feeder to delivery, the outstanding flexibility, and wide variety of configurations, ranging from four to twelve colors. The Speedmaster XL 75 is renowned for its excellent sheet travel, which ensures high quality both for thin paper and for card up to 0.8 millimeters (0.031 inches). The substrate thickness can even be increased to one millimeter (0.039 inches) if necessary. The next expansion stage was launched at drupa 2012 in the form of the Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor, a machine that offers further significant potential for packaging and commercial printers. 

All in all, the format of the Speedmaster XL 75 has proven highly successful for small packaging and, thanks to the high level of automation, for short runs, too. This type of print job predominates in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. The new fully automated sequential AutoPlate Pro plate changer offers an excellent price-performance ratio and cuts makeready times even further. 

Around 40 percent of presses supplied are used in production at folding carton print shops and one in every five machines includes UV equipment. The proportion of presses adapted to meet customers' specific needs is continuing to grow. Complex special effects are made possible inline using a flexible arrangement of printing, coating, drying, and perfecting units. Customized presses already account for around 30 percent of the total.