Big Show and Big Equipment

Big is the only word that describes drupa, the mega trade fair concluding earlier this month. Big exhibits, big attendance and big equipment describe the show held in Dusseldorf, Germany. Heidelberg unveiled its 47.24x63.78´´ Speedmaster XL 162 big sheetfed (shown), marking its move into large-format printing. The launch is also driving size increases in ancillary equipment, as makers of platesetters and cutters introduced devices to serve the big market. A smaller 56´´ XL 145 also debuted.

The 145 and 162 are designed primarily for use in the packaging printing and industrial publishing sectors. The presses—along with Heidelberg's matching Suprasetter 145/162 and an 81´´ model 190 platesetter models—were honored with a 2008 red dot award for product design.

MAN Roland exhibited its new 7B plus (49x64´´) format 900 XXL sheetfed press, which offers a productivity advantage of up to 20% compared to the standard version. The press featured world firsts: the ROLAND InlineColorPilot and the fully automatic plate change APL.

Big, more appropriately, bigger was also a dominant theme in web presses debuted at drupa. Goss and manroland unveiled web models exceeding 110´´ in width—once unthinkable outside gravure.

Goss customer Mazzucchelli announced at the show it would buy a Sunday 5000, it's second such order for that press: a 96-page machine with 112´´ web width. The Italian firm made the repeat order even before taking delivery on its first Sunday 5000, set for install in early 2009. The four-unit press will be equipped with Goss Continweb FD pasters, Ecocool dryers with integrated chill rolls and automatic plate-changing system.

MAN Roland held a closed-door presentation of a test unit of its big, 96-page Lithoman with a 112.6´´ web width. The first goes to Arvato's Mohn.