Heidelberg Focuses on Environmentally Friendly Consumables

In a recent study on life in Germany in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 75 percent of the people who were surveyed said that sustainability was the key to health and security. Two thirds claimed that, in the future, they would choose suppliers who treat solidarity, social commitment, and sustainability as priorities. Based on these findings, it can be assumed that print products will also enjoy greater acceptance if they are clearly identifiable as products that have been created on a sustainable basis. Furthermore, a growing number of print buyers are demanding that print service providers supply evidence of sustainability. For approximately ten years, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has been supplying the Saphira Eco product line to help with precisely this issue. The comprehensive range of especially environmentally friendly consumables includes chemical-free and processless printing plates, coatings, inks made from renewable raw materials, and chemicals that generate less waste. These materials enable users to achieve dependable, environmentally friendly print production that satisfies the highest quality standards. The Saphira Eco range is subject to the strictest criteria in the print media industry for demonstrating the environmental compatibility of consumables.

New Saphira Eco portfolio focuses on environmental friendliness, cost-efficiency, and productivity

By realigning its portfolio around environmentally friendly Saphira Eco consumables, Heidelberg is making it easier for customers to pursue environmentally compatible production in line with their specific requirements. Additional focal points besides environmental concerns include the cost-effectiveness and productivity of the production process. For example, the environmentally friendly Saphira Eco inks are in the same price bracket as conventional standard inks but don’t require any additional outlay in terms of setup and achieve the same productivity standards.

“By using Saphira Eco products, print shops can organize their production operations on a much more environmentally friendly and sustainable basis,” explains Hans Huyghe, head of Product Management Consumables at Heidelberg. “Moreover, there is still far too little awareness that environmentally friendly consumables can help reduce costs by delivering a lower total cost of ownership – without compromising on productivity and quality. Heidelberg also assists all customers who are interested in switching to environmentally friendly print production.”

Processless and chemical-free printing plates for an environmentally friendly and stable production process

When using processless printing plates from the Saphira Eco portfolio, there is no need for a development process, which means plates can be used on the press immediately after imaging. In the case of chemical-free printing plates, the environmentally friendly clean-out solution takes the place of conventional developers and replenishers. Users benefit from savings in the form of reduced space requirements, chemical usage, disposal costs, and power and water consumption. When used with other approved consumables from Heidelberg, the company’s chemical-free or processless printing plates deliver a stable production process and sustained high productivity.

Saphira Eco coatings for virtually all application areas

Thanks to their excellent environmental friendliness, the coatings in the Saphira Eco portfolio are suitable for virtually all standard application areas. The portfolio includes, for example, Teflon-free and low-ammonia or ammonia-free coatings. This means Heidelberg can supply coatings that do not require any hazard labeling. By harnessing the consulting expertise that Heidelberg offers, print shops can find the ideal combination of coating and screen roller to reduce their coating consumption. For example, a specific screen will enable lower coating usage without impacting gloss levels, while combining this screen with a suitable coating plate will also help reduce cleaning intervals.

Environmentally friendly print production with Saphira Eco chemicals

Heidelberg offers a wide range of chemicals for especially environmentally friendly print production. For instance, the Saphira Eco portfolio includes VOC-free wash solutions. Combining the right wash program with the right wash solution helps to shorten the whole washing process while ensuring the results are always good. This means less wash solution is used, which generates less waste and results in lower waste costs.
In addition, Heidelberg offers environmentally friendly dampening solutions that don’t need to be changed in the dampening solution circuit as often and facilitate IPA-free or at least reduced-IPA printing – all without impacting productivity while also reducing paper waste. Heidelberg helps users make the switch to IPA-free print production.

Saphira Eco products assist with certification for sustainable print production

Using environmentally compatible consumables from the Saphira Eco portfolio makes it easier for print shops worldwide to obtain certification for sustainable print production in line with the applicable environmental standards. Depending on the type of certificate, Heidelberg helps its customers choose the best consumables to satisfy the certificate requirements.