"Our customers include many of the leading brands. High-end food packaging is constantly placing new demands on coating and special effects, technical properties, and environmental compatibility," explains Wolfgang Grotmann, Managing Director at Hammer. "Dual-coating technology from Heidelberg gives us a whole new range of opportunities that we can use to exceed these requirements by far. We are proud to be the owners of the first Speedmaster XL 145 with two coating units in Poland."

A family-run company, Hammer was established in Lübeck in 1919 and has a workforce of more than 300 who manufacture high-quality folding cartons and other types of packaging for international brands in the food, OTC (over the counter), and non-food industries. In 1995, the company opened a second plant in Poznań, Poland. After installing the new Speedmaster XL 145, the two plants now boast print capacities up to the 145 format and can therefore offer customers outstanding flexibility. In Lübeck, a Speedmaster XL 105-6+L with fully automatic pallet logistics was installed alongside other presses in 2008, enabling the print shop to cover the 3B format. These presses are complemented by a range of postpress devices including two Dymatrix 106 Pro CSB die cutters. As a result, the company's end-to-end production concept features outstanding material flexibility and fast job changes across all production stages.

Speedmaster XL 145 sets new standards for quality, productivity, and significantly less waste
The new Speedmaster XL 145 at Hammer Poznań is equipped with non-stop systems on the feeder and delivery, fully automatic pallet logistics, and simultaneous washup systems for rapid ink changes. The new press sets high standards for both quality and productivity. A key contributing factor in this respect is the significant reduction in waste sheets compared to earlier press generations. "During the start-up phase for the new press, we tested various components and consumables with Heidelberg to find the best results for the specific requirements associated with food packaging," explains Ralf Linnerth, Plant Manager. "Besides the regular LMQ (low migration quality) inks, the program also included metallic inks and coating systems for UV finishing that are approved for contact with foods. We have now completed this test phase and achieved a level of productivity that is beyond impressive," says Linnerth, summing up the first few months of production with the Speedmaster XL 145.

Last year, Hammer's printing expertise achieved official recognition when it won the "Confectionery" category at the ECMA Awards. Hammer is already planning further automation and machine projects for the future, as well as healthy growth in production capacities at several sites.

Today, the Speedmaster XL 145 / XL 162 is available in all standard configurations for the packaging, commercial, and publishing printing sectors. Since its market launch in 2009, over 70 presses have been sold, with more than 60 percent being used in the packaging and display printing sector.

Photo: Managing Director Wolfgang Grotmann (right) and his Plant Manager Ralf Linnerth run a Speedmaster XL 145-6+LYYL at the Hammer Poznań plant and are impressed by the high quality standards and productivity.