Press maker Heidelberg has celebrated its 175th anniversary with the opening of what it says is the industry’s largest customer demonstration centre at its Wiesloch-Walldorf site in Germany.

Heidelberg – which once made a brief bid for supremacy in the newspaper press segment – brought 1500 international guests to the celebration, and announced the addition of a new VLF press to its packaging printing portfolio.

Rebranded as ‘the Home of Print’, the redesigned print media centre tracks the company’s growth strategy for its core business and presents “future-proof” and specific solutions designed to appeal to all relevant target groups.

Chief technology and sales officer David Schmedding says the centre reflects a growth strategy for its core business, claiming its position as a collaborative total solution provider and end-to-end systems integrator for packaging and commercial printing is unique in the industry.

The new Cartonmaster CX 145 offers a very large 1050x1450 mm format focussed on high-volume folding carton production in the growing food, beverage and consumer packaging segment.

Heidelberg is also extending its portfolio for industrial digital printing and integrating postpress solutions from C.P. Bourg and Tecnau into its Jetfire 50 systems, having already launched the Stahlfolder Fireline concept to manufacture cut and folded products in conjunction with the Jetfire.

Heidelberg promises 1000 personalised presentations a year in the redesigned Home of Print, which covers an area of 9000 m².