Heidelberg rolls out upgrade kit

Press manufacturer Heidelberg has thousands of machines in situ that do not use the latest LED luminaries, introduced with the Drupa 2020 generation of machines. These will all need to be upgraded to meet the anticipated changes.

And there are a number of ways to update the specification according to the age and level of sophistication of the press. 

The oldest and least advanced machines working from Press Center or Press Center Compact consoles will be referred to Just Normlicht and its dealers, namely Colour Confidence in the UK. This is covered by an agreement between the two German suppliers but amounts to an upgrade kit from Just which has developed a plug and play system to switch from fluorescent tubes to LED illumination. Printers will gain the ability to flit between D65, D50, Fogra 51 and Fogra 39 lighting conditions at the flick of a switch. A further option shows light with UV and without UV for those papers with an OBA component. But this remains an independent system, not something that is interested into the most modern control consoles.

The Press Center 3 equipped machines already have the LED technology in place and this is controlled through Heidelberg’s software to manage the luminescence and temperature of the lighting, to ensure that it remains in calibration and alerting users to any action they need to take.

With the retro fit that is now available, the same advantages are offered to Press Center 2 equipped machines when the mercury vapour lighting is replaced by LED. The lamps are switched over, new software installed and the user is ready to enjoy digital control over lighting conditions at the end of the press without the need to worry about replacing tubes which may no longer be within the standard.

The company has this technology as part of the Colour Zone colour management training centre in its new UK head office. This uses LED lighting to give D50 conditions and is one of the most popular elements of what can be delivered in the UK. Colour courses are in demand as deep experience drains away from the industry with retirements and the loss of skills. It seems that in spite of the automation being offered, skills are still required, knowledge is still required and therefore consistent conditions will continue to be in demand.

Heidelberg is highly conscious of the energy saving that LED lighting offers as well as the health and safety aspects. Heidelberg has been polishing its act in terms of energy usage of late, pointing out developments in recent years that can reduce energy usage and therefore the footprint of the press. 

The control desk became part of this in 2014 when Heidelberg introduced a standby mode which is implemented while the press is stopped for any reason. As well as end of press lighting, this includes pumps and rollers on the machine. Standby mode can lead to a 60% reduction in energy demand compared to the machine remaining static without the energy reduction measures engaged. Thus a 20kWh demand when the press is idle for any reason becomes an 8kWh pull and reduction in carbon footprint.