New technology brings productivity during pandemic

During the Heidelberg Innovation Week which took place October 13-15 this year, there was an interesting conversation between two European packaging printers which is of some importance to Indian packaging printers. The conversation focused on their experience using Heidelberg Speedmaster presses and how the technology has helped them increase production rates. Spaniard Temps Impresores shared the experience of his recently acquired Speedmaster XL 75, while Hungarian Kartonpack spoke about the company’s Speedmaster CX 104.

Originally a commercial printing company, Temps Impresores now derives almost all of its revenue from packaging. (About 98% of its revenue comes from the packaging business while only 2% remains from the commercial segment.) The company was founded in 2004.

Isidoro de Temps said that with the new Speedmaster XL 75, the company has succeeded in reducing the production time of the monocartons. “With the new Speedmaster XL 75 we have managed to reduce production time because with its drying system there is no need to wait. We are now processing 30 tasks per day compared to 17 tasks per day previously, ”said Sanchez.

In addition to the Speedmaster XL 75, most of the current equipment for the Spanish printer turned converter also comes from Heidelberg. It operates a Versafire digital printing press, a Suprasetter A74 CtP unit, a Speedmaster CD 74 4-color press, a Stahlfolder CH-66 folder and a Polar N 115 Plus die-cutter. It also has an MK Promatrix 106 CSB die-cutter and an MK Diana Easy folder-gluer from Heidelberg’s Chinese partner, Masterwork.

Sanchez said his company focuses on packaging sustainability and uses environmentally friendly inks and plates. In addition, all production units are equipped with solar panels installed on the roofs. “Every year we try to be better,” he said.

Kartonpack increases its productivity by 25%

The Hungarian folding box manufacturer Kartonpack has been using one of the first Speedmaster CX 104 balers for a year. Kartonpack was a pilot user of the new Speedmaster CX 104 and based on this experience with its innovations such as intelligent controls and the system easy to change anilox that the press introduced, he decided to buy the press.

“The Speedmaster CX 104 was installed as part of a strategic collaboration. Only one other European printing house has had this opportunity, which we are extremely proud of. Given our working structure, we have found that the new Speedmaster CX 104 fully meets our current and future expectations in terms of flexibility, reliability and quality. We were particularly impressed with the intelligent control concept of the system and the high performance levels of the coating unit, ”said Kartonpack Chairman and CEO Dr Sándor Uszkay-Boiskó.

Kartonpack ordered the new Speedmaster CX 104 in September 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Since then, the new press operates continuously in three shifts in the company. After only the first full month of production, the new press had already taken over most of the production volume. The printing system goes through a new packaging job several times during each shift. Given this working structure, the rapid changes on the Speedmaster CX 104 are particularly beneficial. The new coating unit developed by Heidelberg contributes decisively to this speed.

“With the new CX 104 we were able to achieve higher output speeds and shorter preparation times. In the end, our productivity increased by 25%. Also, it is very important for us to improve the varnish because we varnish 98% of our work. The time spent on replacing the anilox cylinders has been reduced by 75%, ”said Nóra Teleki, Kartonpack production and operations manager.

Our Opinion – What Indian Printing Services Can Learn

What can Indian printers learn or infer from this conversation? Naresh Khanna, our longtime editor and ethical technical consultant to the Indian printing industry, says: “Too often we overlook the experience of foreign printers, not realizing that we own and operate the same technology. and that we often have the same global customers. In fact, in many cases, we can sometimes take the technology a step further than overseas printing companies because we have greater skills gaps on the shop floor and fewer assets. modern to replace.

“We can also learn that a commercial printer migrating to cartons may be better off with a B2 press with newer technology, because quality, value-added and productivity can generate better revenues than simple volumes of carton on a B1 press. From this conversation Heidelberg presented as part of his digital marketing in pandemic conditions, we can also learn that investments in the pandemic don’t need to be interruptions, they should preferably embrace new productivity technologies. , especially in areas such as setup and preparation. and coating.

“Please also note that in this conversation, presses are described as ‘systems’, which in this case means that their functionality, efficiency and condition can be monitored digitally. It is a change in the way of thinking about print that we must bring to our businesses and in the thinking of our operational teams. It requires a more transparent and democratic atmosphere in the shop floor which we can create with the use of systems technology if we are prepared to give access to the team. It is the workshop teams that will increasingly need to create both goals and performance reviews as this is an ongoing process and not just once a week or once a day. This is already happening in some of the best Indian printing houses. “