Heidelberg has produced a new plate processing line to automate plate production for mid-sized commercial printers, perhaps those with a pair of presses.
The Compact Plate Loader takes a plate from the B1 Suprasetter platesetter guiding it into a compact bender and identifying the plate by QR code so that set up data can be downloaded from a Prinect workflow. The QR code is also essential for Intellistart and Intelliguide, the applications that will be the basis for autonomous press operation. This will include Plate to Unit robot plate handling systems.
However, the CPL line is unlikely to suit that requirement as the Suprasetter has a maximum throughput of 55 B1 plates an hour while plate to unit is expected to appeal to printers needing to cope with double-figure makereadies an hour – at least at this point.
The plate loader has a capacity of 1,200 plates in formats from 650x750mm to 1050x1200mm. This is less than the Automatic Plate Loader which has a capacity of 1,500 plates but of a single format only. At the entry level of plate loading is the dual cassette loader taking 100 plates in each of two cassettes.
The new system fills the gap between the two extremes and addresses a need for further automation across commercial and packaging print.
Chief technology and sales officer David Schmedding says: “Print shops can use the Compact Pallet Loader and the Compact Bender to cut operating and personnel costs and counter the skills shortage.”
The new unit has been put through its paces at Druckstudio in Dusseldorf, a company which has installed a Speedmaster XL106-8P alongside an existing five-colour XL106. The need to keep up with demand for plates on these presses led to the decision to invest in the plate loader, Suprasetter and plate bending line.
The company no longer needs to load the loading caskets by hand, it no longer needs to manually bend the plates, nor sort them by job and by press as these operations have been automated.
