Speedmaster CX 104 Boosts Global Packaging Printing

Unveiled at China Print 2021, the Speedmaster CX 104, with over 950 presses and more than 6,100 of its printing, coating, and drying units installed worldwide, is the biggest-selling offset printing press ever made by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG). In one year, all the systems installed globally churned out a collective total of 11 billion printed sheets.

The HEIDELBERG bestseller gives commercial, packaging, and label print shops access to cutting-edge technology, with a maximum printing speed of up to 16,500 sheets per hour. The CX 104 can be configured as a Push-to-Stop press for autonomous printing supported by a range of AI-based assistance systems, processing a wide spectrum of printing substrates, ranging from lightweight papers to cardboard, making it suitable for both packaging and commercial printing. It also features the user-oriented and ergonomic Heidelberg UX operating concept.

The Speedmaster CX 104 can be freely configured as anything from a four-colour system with and without coating unit to a customised machine comprising up to 20 printing, coating, and drying units. It can be equipped with the FoilStar cold foil module and the fourth-generation CutStar sheeter. The longest Speedmaster CX 104 to date comprises 17 printing, drying, and coating units and is being used by a customer to manufacture high-quality packaging and speciality printing products. Decades of know-how and a great many components from the XL technology developed by HEIDELBERG have been incorporated into the Speedmaster CX 104.

Numerous customers, including packaging printers based in Europe, the US, and emerging markets across Asia have opted for the Speedmaster CX 104 in recent years. Besides the sheetfed offset press, a huge number of companies have also invested in the die cutter and folder gluer technology from MK Masterwork, the China-based production partner of HEIDELBERG, enabling the German press maker to harness growth potential in the packaging printing sector.

“The Speedmaster CX 104 is our bestseller and, thanks to its flexibility and versatility, it is a favourite of many of our customers all round the world,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “The numerous investments in this press and in the postpress systems offered by our partner MK Masterwork show that customers are being won over by our approach as a systems integrator for packaging printing.”

Powerhouse

In 2023, Canadian packaging manufacturer Beneco Packaging, with over 4,000 customers in the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics sectors, acquired a Speedmaster CX 104-7+L seven-colour press with coating unit to run alongside a Speedmaster CX 102. The new sheetfed offset printing press proved to be a cost-effective and flexible production system for runs of all sizes. Its rapid makeready processes and high production output makes it an all-round powerhouse, while its low maintenance requirements result in excellent availability. “We can run the Speedmaster CX 104 with consistently high production output and outstanding print quality,” says Beneco Packaging President Carol Jiang. The company also uses HEIDELBERG solutions in its postpress operations, including two Promatrix 106 die cutters and a Diana Easy folder gluer.

Web Configurator for Speedmaster CX 104 Now Available

Just like for the Speedmaster XL 106, customers can now use a web configurator for the Speedmaster CX 104 on the HEIDELBERG homepage. The tool, available at my-cx104.heidelberg.com, enables print shops to display their individual Speedmaster CX 104 configuration tailored to their needs. The user-friendly interface guides users through just a few steps to a model that is tailored to their specific production requirements.

First Speedmaster CX 104 in the Philippines

Increasing customer base and growing demands made Philippines-based packaging print shop VJ7 Printing & Packaging Inc. go in for state-of-the-art production technology by investing in a Speedmaster CX 104 in 2022. This was the first machine to be installed in the Philippines from what was then a brand new series. At the same time, the company upgraded its postpress technology with an Easymatrix 106, a Diana Easy 115 folder gluer, and a POLAR N 115 PF cutter. The entire workflow, from platesetting with Suprasetter technology to sheetfed offset printing and to the gluing of folding cartons, is controlled via Prinect Production.

“The final criterion for my decision to opt for an end-to-end HEIDELBERG system was based on the efficiency that has been achieved across all processes,” says Enrico Olivares Santos, who founded the company in 1997.

Investing in Long-term Growth

Established in 1953, Japanese packaging printer Okahashi Co., Ltd. manufactures packaging made of cardboard, PP, and PET for companies in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries. In 2024, as part of its expansion, the company invested in a Speedmaster CX 104-7+L, a Promatrix 106 FC hot foil embossing machine, and a Diana Eye 55 carton inspection system. “This investment is part of our long-term growth strategy and marks the start of a new era,” says President Mikio Okahashi.

Head of production Masayuki Fujikawa elaborates on the Speedmaster CX 104’s reliability and availability: “The press produces some 340 orders and 1.5 million sheets every month, with a job change taking 30 minutes on average and waste levels as low as 2 percent.”

Looking to the future, Okahashi sees colour management as a strategic priority. In view of the current skills shortage, the company is concentrating on automation and rolling out data-managed processes. The aim is to safeguard the consistency, speed, and quality of the printing process. Since last year, HEIDELBERG has been helping the Japanese company with process standardisation on all the Speedmaster presses the customer is currently using, including the new Speedmaster CX 104, which utilises Prinect Inpress Control to monitor quality. “The project is showing results, with colour stability improving and waste volumes down, while the outlay for final inspection has been greatly reduced,” adds Fujikawa.

Productivity Triples with Speedmaster CX 104

Allied Media, a US-based family company specialising in design, printing, and mailing, has a customer base including political parties, major automakers, and local businesses. After several years of working with remarketed equipment, the company invested in a brand new Speedmaster CX 104. Just three months after commissioning the four-colour press, Allied Media had tripled its productivity. “Our success in the printing sector is the result of almost three decades of hard work,” says company ringleader Randy Rockman. Rockman also views his company’s turnaround time and delivery to the United States Postal Services as unmatched.

With order volumes growing steadily, stretching the company’s limits in meeting deadlines, investment in high-performance technology was seen as the only solution. The HEIDELBERG press was chosen by Allied Media primarily because of its positive experience with the other systems in use, such as a Suprasetter platesetter, three Versafire digital printing systems, and a Stahlfolder KH 82 folding machine.