Heidelberg site in Wiesloch-Walldorf becomes production center for digital presses
Following the global market launch of the Gallus Labelfire 340 digital label press – a joint development by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) and Gallus based on leading inkjet technology from Fujifilm –, series production is now getting off to a successful start at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site. Initial customers of the new series presses include several companies from the United States.
Heidelberg produces the digital inkjet print engine of the Labelfire in Wiesloch-Walldorf. The company’s entire digital printing portfolio will also be manufactured here in the future. The base unit of the new press is made by Swiss subsidiary Gallus at its German production site in Langgöns. The system is designed to meet growing demand for the cost-effective production of short, medium, and versioned label runs.
“The requirements related to quality, flexibility, and speed are getting even more demanding in label production,” says Stephan Plenz, member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment. “With the Gallus Labelfire, we’re leading our customers into the digital future with the growing label market. The considerable interest confirms we’ve adopted the right approach,” he adds.
The new Gallus Labelfire 340 digital printing system has been designed for the self-adhesive labels market. The global print volume for these labels is growing by about 4 percent a year. Although nearly 5 percent of this volume is printed digitally, this figure is rising rapidly with up to double-digit growth rates. Indeed, digital printing is driving change in this highly promising market segment. It is anticipated that, in the medium term, just under half of the presses sold in this sector will be digital. By launching this new technology, Heidelberg and Gallus are actively shaping change in the business models used in this segment and offering users a versatile and cost-effective solution.
The entire digital printing portfolio, together with the offset systems from Heidelberg, can be integrated into a print shop’s overall workflow using the new Prinect Digital Frontend (DFE). Web-to-print applications and multi-channel publishing business models are also supported. In this way, Heidelberg is making the smart print shop a reality, enabling users to largely automate their offset and digital printing processes and control these in a standardized, transparent way. The medium-term goal is for digital business to account for around 10 percent of Heidelberg Group sales.
