Heidelberg signs 11 press Speedmaster mega deal

Those who say the era of printing iron is coming to an end will need to think again, as Heidelberg signs its biggest deal in years, with a printer taking 11 B1 Speedmaster 106 XL presses.

Dutch operation Wilco is replacing its entire fleet with the new generation of Heidelberg Push-To-Stop presses, including four eight-colour long perfectors, with 61 units in total across the 11 presses, some of which are LED-UV versions.

Wilco is building a new print plant to house the new presses, and says its main market - the printed books sector - is growing strongly. Some 500,000 books are published each year in Europe.

Heidelberg CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer highlighted the deal "as one of the biggest combined equipment sales in the company’s history", while Robert Jan de Rooij, founder and chief commercial officer of Wilco, said: “When it comes to cutting-edge technology, the portfolio and services offered by Heidelberg completely won us over. We see our investment decision as a groundbreaking move for boosting productivity and tightening our focus on the customer.

“If, like us at Wilco, a company wants to be able to supply a whole range of products – from books, annual reports, and magazines all the way to direct marketing materials and flyers – in the shortest possible time, in the best quality, and on a sustainably competitive basis, it needs a motivated team, maximum efficiency, and state-of-the-art technologies."

Heidelberg will also provide continuous supply of consumables, which will ensure materials required for smooth operation, including ink, are delivered as and when required, based on actual consumption.

Hundsdörfer said: “We are seeing investments steadily rise in markets and regions that are important for us. The Smart Print Shop of the future offers our customers the opportunity to reposition themselves and invest, even in challenging times."

The new plant and all presses will be up and running by September. German dealer Allaoui Graphic Machinery is taking the existing Wilco presses for resale.