Southern Colour Victoria will raise productivity 20% when it swaps out a pair of three-year-old Heidelberg XL 105 presses for two Drupa 2012 models.

The machinery overhaul is almost like for like, with the Melbourne-based firm removing its 2009 model 10-colour and six-colour XL 105 presses to make room for the 10-colour XL106  perfector and six-colour XL106 with in-line coater.

Managing director Rod Dawson said he had inspected the XL presses at Drupa and thought they would help the company handle shorter runs while maintaining high-end colour accuracy.

"Three years ago, we made a significant investment that allowed us to replace several machines with the two Heidelberg XL machines that are currently on the floor, delivering important efficiencies while meeting our customers’ expectations for quality and turnaround at competitive prices," he said.

"In such a competitive and fast-moving market, however, you can never stand still, and our visit to Drupa allowed us to see the advances Heidelberg has made in the past four years. The new XL range takes quality, speed, productivity and efficiency to a new level."

The bells-and-whistles XL presses have a maximum speed of 18,000 sheets per hour and include simultaneous plate change, in-press controls and new image control technology, according to Heidelberg.

Colour management and digital ink zone control provide "outstanding quality and colour stability throughout the run, even at maximum press speeds", said Heidelberg's general manager of sales, John Kirkham.

They also feature an intelligent press management system and in-built energy monitoring, allowing printers to measure their environmental impact, he added.