Inland Label installs second Heidelberg Speedmaster XL

US converter Inland Label, headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has installed its second Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105-8+L with CutStar in-line sheeting unit, aqueous coater, Prinect Press Center with Intellistart operator guidance system, integrated Wallscreen, and Prinect Inpress Control color measurement. Except for the upgrade to the in-line Inpress Control, the new press is identical to the company’s first Speedmaster XL 105, installed in 2008.

‘We were very happy with the dramatic improvements in our quality, speed, and efficiency with the first Speedmaster XL 105,’ said CEO Mark Glendenning, citing the closed-loop color system, superior registration at high speeds, and the ability to print at 300-line screen. ‘This time around, we performed all of the necessary due diligence by evaluating a range of press platforms, but returned to Heidelberg because we were convinced that for the label markets we serve, there is no better technology available. Owning two of these presses, both equipped with the CutStar roll sheeter, enables us to offer customers the cost benefits of web offset and the flexibility of sheetfed offset, in addition to further improvement in our color quality and even faster turnaround times.’

Inland offers a wide range of home-grown and proprietary ink and coating systems, most of which are developed specifically for individual customers. Accordingly, the new press is outfitted for future upgrades, including completely integrated components for alternative ink systems such as UV.

With the new XL 105 slated to be up and in production by May, vice president of operations Guy Billing said: ‘We already have initiated extensive cross-training to maximize our manpower and make sure we have the personnel available to crew both presses across three shifts per day or whenever our workload calls for it.’

The new installation positions Inland Label to handle a growing volume of package decoration projects, especially as the company navigates a large-scale shift in demand from paper to very lightweight film labels, primarily from customers in the beverage, food and consumer product markets. Product offerings include cut and stack, pressure sensitive, roll-fed, injection in-mold and blow mold labels. The company currently produces more than 20 billion premium offset and gravure-printed package labels annually.

Inland’s second XL 105 will enable the company to take on additional capacity and continue to grow, Glendenning said. ‘The packaging industry is vastly different than it was just a few years ago. We have every intention of continuing to invest in new technology to ensure that we maintain our leadership position the label market.’

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