drupa 2000 - Concept Studies from the Technology Leader

A fast route to the finished product that's kind to the environment - new water-based inks o Better, faster, cheaper single-color printing with new inkjet head o High-performance B/W scanner boosts throughput o Multi-bit digital printing breaks down the barriers of image printing

As a worldwide provider of solutions to the printing and publishing industry, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) closely follows trends and market developments within the sector and is constantly working to develop and improve technological concepts. There are over 6,000 patents linked to the Heidelberg name. The company is continuously involved in numerous research and development projects ranging from the optimization of mechanical equipment to new milestones in technology.

At drupa 2000, Heidelberg will be presenting Concept Studies, a range of selected projects at varying stages of development. Some of them are concepts which may or may not be developed, while others are just about to see their market launch. "Before we develop a new product to ready-to-market stage, we first look at the market and perform a detailed analysis of our customers' needs," explains Technology Solution Manager Harald Woerner. Heidelberg's intention behind the Concept Studies display in Hall 2 is primarily to encourage active dialog with customers.

A fast route to the finished product that's kind to the environment - new water-based inks
drupa 2000 will see the presentation of a study into an offset printing ink system that may count as a milestone in offset printing. In cooperation with SunChemical, water-based printing inks have been developed which are by no means inferior to conventional printing inks. In fact, the new inks dry in a matter or minutes and are extremely environmentally friendly. Papers printed with these offset inks can be fed into normal paper recycling systems, while the blanket and roller can be cleaned in a simple washing process using solvent-free cleaning products, That is why the working name of the new ink is "Instant Dry W2", "W2" standing for "water-washable". The printing inks are intended for use in water-free offset printing, e.g. on the Quickmaster 46 DI. Powdering and special papers are not required, and the print sheets are ready for further processing after just a few minutes. The primary candidate for the full benefits of these water-based inks would be the short run color market, where the inks would help to considerably speed up job throughput times. Printshops could save time and money, cut the time between printing and finishing, reduce the size of storage areas and completely do away with powder. One of Heidelberg's further development aims is to optimize printing presses for water-based offset inks and later to offer appropriate upgrade packages.

Better, faster, cheaper single-color printing with new inkjet head
Heidelberg's answer to the market trend towards the integration of high-quality color offset printing and personalization is an innovative inkjet head developed in conjunction with its partner Spectra in Hanover, NH (USA). As an inkjet printing unit with 7,680 nozzles spraying up to 300 million drops of ink per second, this technology would make a reality of single-color printing across the entire A3 format with a resolution of 600 dpi and output of up to 10,000 sheets/h. A study will be presented at drupa which aims initially to develop an inline solution for the Printmaster QM 46. The prospects are enticing - wet-on-wet printing in a single pass, and no need for special papers. "Customer feedback will show whether the market is interested in the development of this unique technology and for what concrete applications," says Woerner.

High-performance B/W scanner boosts throughput
In the fourth quarter of 2000, Heidelberg Digital will be bringing out the new Imagedirect 665 high-performance scanner. The prototype is ready for market and will be on display at drupa. It combines Heidelberg's expertise in paper transport mechanics with high-performance electronic technology for a resolution of 600 dpi and superior gray level recognition at a scanning speed of 65 images per minute. Imagedirect is particularly well-suited to integration into the Digimaster 9110, but will also be available as a stand-alone unit.

Multi-bit digital printing breaks down the barriers of image printing
The new multi-bit digital printing technology looks set to soon clear the gray level/screen ruling hurdle. Up until now, the demand for maximum image quality has limited the number of screen dots in single-bit digital printing. This technological compromise between screen ruling and gray levels leads to a loss of definition and sharpness in less dense image zones. Multi-bit digital printing puts an end to this compromise. A recording unit has been developed which offers a resolution of 600 dpi with a depth of 4 bits. Black and white images therefore get greater sharpness of detail and finer gray level steps. A higher number of gray levels can be reproduced in finer screen rulings. "With this advanced technology, Heidelberg is perfectly prepared to take high-performance black and white digital printing to a whole new quality level," explains Harald Wörner. "At drupa we want to take the opportunity to determine the scope of possible applications for this technology in an open dialog with our customers."

For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Hilde Weisser
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 66
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 46
E-mail: hilde.weisser@heidelberg.com