Canon and Heidelberg, technology leaders in inkjet and sheetfed offset printing respectively, have announced their global sales and service cooperation in inkjet printing, with a joint focus on supporting commercial print businesses striving to establish hybrid offset and digital production to meet changing print buyer needs and increase their capability to handle shorter runs of more diverse jobs.
Heidelberg will expand its technology portfolio by introducing its own inkjet product family based on the newly announced Canon B2 sheetfed inkjet press and the well-established B3 sheetfed inkjet press. Both presses will be integrated into the Heidelberg Prinect workflow; Service and Saphira Ink will be delivered through Heidelberg.
Akira Yoshida, president and CEO and chairman of the board of executive directors of Canon Production Printing Holding, says, “Canon has channeled significant energy and investment to develop its leading inkjet technology and give customers in the commercial printing industry a clear vision of their future. Heidelberg boasts a unique heritage, an extensive customer base and in-depth knowledge of the needs of commercial print businesses. We are confident that our collaboration with Heidelberg will accelerate the move to blended offset/digital production and enable transformative innovation for many more offset print businesses worldwide.”
David Schmedding, head of sales of Heidelberg, says, “We are confident that Canon is the ideal partner for Heidelberg to support our customers with best-in-class inkjet press technology, backed by deep expertise in digital applications and business development. Our aim is to offer print shops that operate sheetfed offset and digital presses simultaneously an attractive and integrated service and product portfolio. That’s why we’re excited to be able to offer our customers innovative industrial inkjet presses integrated into our Prinect workflow to gain flexible and cost-effective autonomous production.”
Currently, more than 650 Canon B3 sheetfed inkjet presses have been successfully adopted by customers worldwide, giving them increased flexibility and agility to produce a broad spectrum of shorter-run work efficiently and profitably. Building on this track record, the new Canon B2 sheetfed press promises ideal levels of digital productivity, quality and media versatility for industrial customers when it becomes available.
The new Heidelberg inkjet portfolio is being shown on the Heidelberg stand in Hall 1 at drupa 2024 (Düsseldorf, Germany, 28 May – 7 June). Visitors can see a technology animation of the new B2 sheetfed inkjet press on the Canon stand in Hall 8A, and the press is slated for availability in Q4 2025.
