Individualized print products for the pharmaceutical industry
Prinect Production Manager integrates offset and digital printing into a hybrid workflow
Schöttner Druck put the 3000th Versafire digital printing system supplied by HEIDELBERG into operation some time ago. Managing Director Hans Schöttner's initial assessment is positive: Flexibility, quality, productivity and integration capability are particularly impressive.
Schöttner Offsetdruck GmbH (Schöttner Druck), based in Oberhaching, Bavaria, is a "repeat offender" and has invested in a Versafire digital printing system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) for the third time. This is also the 3000th Versafire digital printing system delivered by HEIDELBERG. In addition to the traditional commercial printing business, the family-owned company, which is over 50 years old, focuses on dialog marketing for customers in the pharmaceutical industry. These are high-quality print products whose text and image content is largely personalized or individualized. "In order to be able to produce individualized print products for our customers, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, economically in small print runs, we use the strengths that digital printing offers us. The Versafire systems from HEIDELBERG have already proven to be the ideal production system in terms of flexibility, quality, productivity and integration capability," says owner and Managing Director Hans Schöttner.
Valuable experience in a hybrid workflow environment
The Versafire LV installed at Schöttner Druck is one of the most versatile and productive toner presses in its class. It is operated with the second-generation Prinect Digital Frontend (DFE) developed by HEIDELBERG. In the interests of maximum efficiency, this new generation of software in conjunction with the user interface allows flexible and standardized interaction between offset and digital printing. The new DFE generation incorporates all the integration know-how that the company has gained from the large number of Versafire digital printing systems installed.
"Digital printing customers of HEIDELBERG gain access to a comprehensive ecosystem with consumables, digital services, software, cloud-based solutions, training, consulting, inventory management and logistics," says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, summarizing the benefits for customers. With 3,000 Versafire systems installed, the company has also gained a great deal of experience in the areas of integration, color management and service in a hybrid workflow environment. "Our customers will now also benefit from this knowledge with our Jetfire 50 inkjet printing system, which we are launching at Drupa 2024 and will start delivering in the first quarter of next year," says Schmedding.
Two printing processes, one workflow technology
An important argument for Schöttner Druck's repeated investment in the Versafire systems was the integration of the technology into the higher-level Prinect workflow environment via the DFE. The principle here is: two printing technologies, one workflow technology. The Prinect Production Manager controls both a Suprasetter for imaging the offset printing plates and the Versafire LV centrally. This makes it possible to decide on the selected output system at short notice without compromising on print quality and color fidelity. In an initial assessment, Hans Schöttner emphasizes the excellent reproduction of areas and screen gradients that he achieves on the Versafire: "On the new digital printing system, we now also produce those very demanding jobs in short runs that were previously only possible in offset."
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