“This is exactly the machine we needed for our applications,” confirm Zhengguo Lai and Yuanbao Lai, co-founders of Yuhua Playing Cards Co. Ltd. in Guangzhou, China. In May of this year both went to China Print in Peking, where Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) presented the new Speedmaster CX 75 for the first time. Even though Yuhua Playing Cards had not had a single printing press up to that point, Zhengguo Lai and Yuanbao Lai immediately recognized the potential of this all-rounder and placed an order for one while at the trade fair, like quite a few other customers also. What impressed them was the machine’s high print quality, broad range of applications, and good price-performance ratio.

Yuhua Playing Cards and its 50-strong staff specializes in the production of all kinds of playing and casino cards, which are shipped to customers all over the the world. The print jobs were previously produced by an external company. “This company also uses machines from Heidelberg, and our customers were more than happy with the quality and the delivery times,” confirm Zhengguo Lai and Yuanbao Lai. With the Speedmaster CX 75 four-color press, the company is now adding its own value with a view to benefiting both financially and guaranteeing even higher quality control and faster delivery. For card production, the machine offers a quick-reacting and stable inking unit and dampening system, even with minimal ink consumption, and in this way ensures mini-mal waste. The optional larger printing and sheet size enables a complete set of cards to be fitted on one sheet.

The best of both worlds with many enhancementsThe Speedmaster CX 75 combines the innovative Peak Performance platform of the Speedmaster XL 75 and components of the Speedmaster SX 74 to produce a compact, flexible, and economical straight-printing press for print shops on a growth course (see press release dated11 April 2017). Sales got off to a good start around the world, and the production in Wiesloch-Walldorf was ramped up even before deliveries started. The first presses will be going to customers at home and abroad on schedule at the beginning of November this year.

The first customers include Druckerei Bairle GmbH in Disch-ingen in Germany’s Swabian Alps. Owner Tobias Bairle and his printer visited the field tester Werbedruck Petzold in Gerns-heim, where the Speedmaster CX 75 had been installed just two weeks previously. “The test program went perfectly, and we were impressed by the much shorter makeready time when changing jobs,” says Bairle in summing up his impressions. Druckerei Bairle and its team of more than 45 offer a full service for commercial offset and digital printing. The press room already boasts three Speedmaster presses in 35 x 50, 50 x 70, and 70 x 100 cm format. Postpress is performed on three Stahlfolder machines, Polar cutting machines, and one saddlestitcher. The printing plates used are from the Saphira series.

“We had a very tempting offer from another German manufacturer, but the live demonstration on the Speedmaster CX 75 won us over,” explains Tobias Bairle. “That’s why we continue to rely on our proven sales and service partners at Heidelberg with a well-developed network of technicians, including optimum service for the 50 x 70 format.” The company has ordered a Speedmaster CX 75 five-color press with coating unit for its plans to implement flexible production. “The press is based on the successful Speedmaster XL 75 platform, and its high installation rate worldwide. With its double-diameter cylinder and the presettings, it can print a large number of materials at high production speeds, making it perfect for our company,” says Bairle, already looking forward to the installation at the end of the year.

First Speedmaster CX 75 with LE UV technology for direct postpress heading to EnglandThe English printing company Vale Press in Willersey, Gloucestershire, is set to take delivery of the first Speedmaster CX 75 with energy-saving LE UV dryers. It is a perfect fit with the philosophy of the company, which places great importance on sustainability. “We’ll be using the new press for the ever-growing numbers of advertising materials and jobs in the area of web-to-print. With the LE UV dryers, the sheet is dry when it comes out of the machine and can go directly into postpress, which will greatly reduce delivery times,” explains Managing

Customers all over the world benefiting from theall-round talents of the new Speedmaster CX 75 • Sale numbers exceeding all expectations• New Chinese entrant to the offset printing sector impressed by the good price-performance ratio and the high print quality• German commercial printing company insists on the best of both worlds with many enhancements and an extensive service

network• First Speedmaster CX 75 with LE UV technology for direct postpress heading to England

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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NewsBRIEFHeidelberg Graphic Systems Southern Africa (Pty) LtdTel: +27 (0)86 142 4756www.heidelberg.com/za/enSeptember 2017

POLAR Compucut® GO

Director Tom Stowe. “We have a long-standing partnership with Heidelberg, and are always investing in the appropriate technology to allow us to supply our customers with the optimal printed products. Doing so enables us to offer even higher quality to brand owners in particular, and help them to better market their products.” Vale Press is a full-service company that uses solutions from Heidelberg for prepress, press, and postpress, and that has integrated its printing processes using the Prinect workflow. “The new Speedmaster CX 75 four-color press with LE UV is the perfect fit for our business model and its small footprint, smaller than that of the Speedmaster SX 74 it is set to replace, is a big plus,” says Stowe. Vale Press will continue to use a five-color Speedmaster XL 75 and a five-color Speedmaster SX 52 in its press room for conventional applications.

Customers interested in the Speedmaster CX 75 will have two opportunities to experience the machine live during autumn of this year: at the Commercial Days in Wiesloch-Walldorf for the European premiere and at the Smart Print Shop Days in the Print Media Center in Qingpu, near Shanghai. There they will also see the complete portfolio for the 50 x 70 format, which offers the right machine for every application – from the internationally established Speedmaster SX 74 and the innovative Speedmaster XL 75 to the new Speedmaster CX 75.

POLAR Compucut® is the state-of-the-art software for setting up cutting programs. This software benefits from POLAR’s enormous cutting know-how and experience gained over more than 25 years. In Compucut® GO, POLAR is now offering an additional version of this workflow software. Both versions are based on identical cutting rules, but Compucut® GO is reduced to the basics. Designed according to the motto “Plug and Cut“, there is no need to even install the software, as it runs on the medium which is installed on a computer. The PC is integrated into the network and therefore connects the prepress stage to the guillotine type cutter.

Compucut® GOAt the prepress stage, the digital sheet layout is stored as a PPF or JDF file. This file is then placed into the Hot Folder which is regularly checked by Compucut® GO. Every time Compucut® GO detects a new file, it starts processing it right away. Based on a strictly defined sequence of initial cuts it sets up the cutting program and sends it immediately to the memory of the machine. In contrast to the standard Compucut® program, the GO version works solely in automatic mode. Consequently, due to the automated work flow, there is no need for the operator to intervene manually. Compucut® GO therefore has no user interface at all. This additional Compucut® version is available for all of thePOLAR D PLUS cutting machines and POLAR N PLUS high-speed cutters. The software will be delivered as from December 2017.

Compucut® comparedCompared to the GO version, the standard Compucut®program offers many more features. In manual operation, for example, the program allows the sheet to be modified. This can be particularly beneficial, if you do not cut a section, but wish to keep the sheet whole and finish it. While only one machine can be connected to the GO version, there is no limit to the machines connected to a classic Compucut system. You cannot only integrate several machines, but also include an external cutting program database. There is an option for configuring each machine with the existing special options. Another highlight of the classic version is the preview, which enables the operator to view a soft copy of the printed sheet.

The Speedmaster CX 75 will be the first printing press for Zhengguo Lai (left) and Yuanbao Lai, co-founders of Yuhua Playing Cards Co. Ltd. in Guangzhou, China. They were impressed by the high print quality and stable production.

Tobias Bairle is already looking forward to shortening makeready times and offering his customers faster delivery with the new Speedmaster CX 75.

Our dear colleague and friend, Enoch Khumalo, passed away suddenly due to illness on 23 September 2017.

Enoch was a very dedicated employee, spending his entire working career spanning about 40 years with Heidelberg SA. He was fiercely loyal to the company and always maintained the happiest disposition. There was not a day where Enoch wouldn’t smile or crack a few jokes. Socially, he was passionate about soccer and was an avid supporter of the Orlando

Pirates. Enoch is survived by his wife Selita and his son, Stanley, as well as his two sisters, Sandy and Thoko.

Our customer group always spoke very highly of Enoch and we at Heidelberg SA will miss him dearly and will always have many fond memories of him. Goodbye to our brother and friend from us at Heidelberg SA.

POLAR presents Compucut® GO for an easy automationPOLAR Compucut® GO is a simple automation solution in the field of cutting. It automatically converts the digital sheet layout into a cutting program which is then transferred to a POLAR cutting machine. This eliminates the programming time spent at the guillotine type cutter. Compucut® GO epitomizes “Plug and Cut”.

We will miss your smile

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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“Design your car” - Heidelberg at IAA 2017: technology partner for the automotive industry

“The automobile of the future is networked and increasingly tailored to the customer in every respect. That is why we seek out partners whose technology can be integrated into our digitized production processes, thereby enabling us to also meet individual customer requirements,” says Günter Ritzi, Managing Director of Ritzi Lackiertechnik GmbH (www.ritzi-lackiertechnik.de).

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) presented as a technology partner for the automative industry at IAA 2017, which took place on 24 September in Frankfurt. By using the company’s digital solutions as part of industrial production, distinctive applications like speedometer bezels, ventilation nozzles and alloy rims could be custom decorated or embellished for automotive customers.

Live at the Mercedes-Benz stand: “unleash the colour” - custom trims for smart cars, produced using the Omnifire 4D printing system Already today, almost no two smart cars are the same. With “unleash the colour”, smart was giving an outlook on other forms of personalization. Visitors to the IAA experienced how digitization and new printing technologies have been providing a quick and easy way of realizing individual designs in small-scale production or as individual items using the example of the interior.

The process was digitized throughout - from the first individual design draft to the finished personalized trim. First, customers could design selected trim components for the interior (ventila-tion nozzles, instrument bezels, and multi-media interface trim) with their own motifs in a configurator app. The overall design was then immediately viewed on the tablet and in virtual reality (VR). The design was optimized for printing and printed in color as well as with haptic effects on the surfaces of the real com-ponents. This is made possible by new digital solutions from Heidelberg, which are integrated into the digitized production process.The Heidelberg Omnifire 250 4D printing system used to demonstrate this process, was located right next to the smart stand in the Mercedes FabLab (level 1) in the Festhalle arena. Here, visitors could see the trim components being printed live, and were informed about Heidelberg’s 4D printing technology.

Personalized decoration of alloy rims BORBET (www.borbet.de, hall 4, stand CO8), a manufacturer of alloy wheels, demonstrated at IAA how lightweight construction and surface finishing using printing, paints, and coatings has been shaping the future of the wheel. The company presented alloy wheels finished using Omnifire technology, which, unlike other methods, also enabled complex color gradients. With this technology, Borbet responded to the wishes of the market for smaller batch sizes and greater personalization of rims.

Supplier Ritzi Lackiertechnik producing custom-decorated car partsHeidelberg secured automotive supplier Ritzi Lackiertechnik GmbH as the pilot user of the Omnifire 1000. Ritzi specializes in innovative surface finishes for high-quality components such as speedometer bezels, trim strips, switches, dashboards, and other finished components for various automotive manu-facturers. For this, the company uses different methods and technologies. Ritzi will integrate the Omnifire 1000 into its industrial production process to personalize and thus enhance both series parts, for example for “unleash the colour”, and after-sales parts with a variety of colored patterns.

“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 an efficient 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.

“At IAA 2017 we presented ourselves as a technology provider for the automotive industry and showcased the personalized future. The enhancement of digital printing for integration into industrial processes has opened up new growth markets for us. We have the expertise and technologies to design the personalized world, and support customers from a wide range of industries in establishing their digital business models,” says Dr. Ulrich Hermann, Board Member and Chief Digital Officer at Heidelberg.

Heidelberg Omnifire 1000 and 250 print objects of almost any shape and made from a variety of materialsThe possibility of customizing high-quality mass-produced items and as a result addressing consumers and customers in a very personal way opens up attractive and new digital business models in the automotive industry and many other indus-tries. This is made possible by 4D printing technology from Heidelberg: the Omnifire 1000 and 250 systems can be used for custom or personalized printing and decoration of three-dimensional objects of almost every shape and made from a wide variety of materials, for example balls, bottles, hockey sticks, car and plane parts, even entire planes. The system can be integrated into practically any digitized production process. Heidelberg presented the technology for the first time at InPrint 2015 in Munich and since then has been continuously enhancing the Inkjet system for industrial use.

Heidelberg driving digitization and further expanding its digital printing portfolioWith its presentation of 4D printing technology at the IAA in Frankfurt, Heidelberg underlined the success of its digital transformation in keeping with its announced “Heidelberg goes Digital” strategy. Heidelberg is also gradually expanding the 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 incooperation with its development partner, Fujifilm.

Video on Omnifire technology:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fWUWa1xg0M

• There was a live presentation at the Mercedes-Benz stand: “unleash the colour” for the smart

• BORBET presented custom-decorated rims• Ritzi Lackiertechnik produced custom-decorated car parts• Digital printing technology from Heidelberg printing

customized applications for the automotive industry: ventilation nozzles, speedometer bezels, alloy rims, and more

• Heidelberg: part of the digitized and personalized future

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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Unleash the colour: IAA visitors to the Mercedes-Benz stand were able to individually configure the design of interior trims for a smart…

Unleash the colour: IAA visitors to the Mercedes-Benz stand were able to individually configure the design of interior trims for a smart…

… and then saw the parts being printed live on a Heidelberg Omnifire.

To get a realistic impression the configuration was supported by virtual reality glasses.

Borbet presented alloy rims finished using Omnifiretechnology, which, unlike other methods, also enabledcomplex color gradients.

Ritzi Lackiertechnik will integrate the Omnifire technology into its industrial production process for personalizing series parts like interiors with colored patterns. Thomas Wittmann, Head of Sales at Ritzi, comments: “With Heidelberg, we have found the partner who allows us to realize personalized solutions for our discerning customers in an efficient way in terms of quality, flexibility, and cost.“

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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Order today and receive your delivery quickly. The Heidelberg eShop takes you straight to whatever you are looking for.

Everything Heidelberg.Heidelberg eShop.

The efficient and convenient tool from Heidelberg Southern Africais an online portal that enables customers to shop safely andsecurely 24/7.

With clear page structure, navigation and customised shopping lists, customers will find a wide selection of thoroughly tested Saphira consumables perfectly attuned to their production systems quickly and efficiently. Some of the benefits include:

• One-stop shop• Order 24/7• Reliable delivery• Complete product portfolio• Transparency & cost control

Visit the Heidelberg eShop.

shop.heidelberg.com

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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Versafire digital printing family upgrade: Making good things even better

• New color: neon pink for eye-catching applications• Heidelberg Media Management Tool for easy setup and

handling of infinite numbers of printing substrates• Prinect 2018 with new Digital Frontend functionality for

Versafire family• Production Manager Digital: Offering professional

software functions on monthly base

After Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) recently underlined its aspirations to further strengthen the company’s trailblazing position in the printing press sector under the theme “Heidelberg goes digital!”, the digital printing division disclosed new features for its Versafire digital printing family.“Having more than 1500 Versafire systems installed in the graphic arts market is an impressive landmark, demonstrating the successful interplay of digital and offset technology for the benefit of our customers,” says Stephan Plenz, member of the Heidelberg Management Board responsible for Digital Technology. “The customer feedback switching from various vendors towards Heidelberg’s Versafire in terms of easy installation, error free operation, availability, price performance ratio and simple workflow integration is just overwhelming. Based on this it is just a logical step to further develop and integrate the Versafire digital printing family.” Stunning sets of spot colors for Versafire CVAfter introducing the neon yellow spot color, facing atremendous market demand end of 2016, Heidelberg will introduce another spot color: neon pink. Doing this, Versafire CV owners are able to deliver even brighter posters, dazzling party invitations and bills, eye-catching advertising leaflets, even in short runs, with or without personalization, and most important in a most cost-effective way. The neon toner glows under UV light, enabling it to attract even more attention and add unexpected touches to printing applications in the digital printing field.

In total, four additional toners can be used each in addition to CYMK: high-opacity white, varnish for full-area or spot coating, neon yellow and neon pink. The operator can realize the applications quickly and confidently, with using the new Prinect Digital Frontend Version 2018 features or using the PDF-Toolbox. All hardware required is the toner and anadditional developer unit. Beside the low investment costs of the new toner, it can also be retrofitted to all Heidelberg Linoprint CV or Versafire CV printing systems with five color configuration. More proof of the high level of investment se-curity that Heidelberg is offering. The neon pink toner will be available late autumn 2017.

Media Management Tool allows easy handling of complex substrates An impressive feature of the Versafire product family is the flexibility to print on a wide range of media. However, settings for heat-resistant plastics or structured materials may be quite complex.

To enable every Versafire user to print outstanding results, Heidelberg offers a new training program which includes an innovative and exclusive Media Management Tool for the Prinect DFE, to quickly setup, save and recall all media set-tings for complex substrates. In other words: Once a new substrate is set up by the operator, the corresponding settings can be saved and recalled anytime. Even more: The settings can be exchanged between Versafire machines. This enables Versafire users to broaden their range of printing substrates,

realizing a minimum on make-ready time and to stay ahead of competition.

Seamless workflow integration built-inThe Prinect Digital Frontend, specifically developed for the Versafire digital printing system, provides uncompro-mising support for the printing process: Shortest production times, fast job changes and various personalization options. The Versafire family can be fully integrated in the industry leading workflow solution – Prinect. With the new version 2018 enhanced features are the new montage editor, a speed enhanced preview function and an improved user interface design, where customer feedback was significantly incorporated.

Realizing professional growth opportunities with minimum risk A further example of how professional functions from the world of offset printing can be successfully transferred to digital printing is the Production Manager Digital.Customers are able to enjoy professional functions, such as the possibility to integrate the digital printing workflow into their offset workflow or connection of their open (B2C) or closed (B2B) web-shops. The integration of the customers, the uploading and downloading of data, as well as the automatic processing of data, can be realized via the Prinect portal. In addition, automatic version updates, also of the Prinect Digital Frontend, are possible with the Production Manager Digital.

Without any doubt, business intelligence is key in many regards. This is why Heidelberg introduces the known soft-ware Analyze Point within the Production Manager Digital. Analyze Point provides numerous reports based on job and production data to keep an eye on day-to-day production and also make longer-term decisions on the basis of key figures. These reports provide a comprehensive overview of the jobs currently in production and the long-term production outlook.

Following thesuccessful intro-duction of the neon yellow toner in early 2016, another eye-catching splash of color will be available for Heidelberg’sVersafire CV: neon pink.

Prinect Digital Frontend v2018 for the Versafire family – now with montage editor.Detailed customer feedback was incorporated to further enhance usability.

Heidelberg NewsBRIEF • September 2017

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