Regarding the development, assembly, production, and application of Stahlfolder folding machines, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has stated that over the past 70 years, there has been has been consistent progress in postpress – from the handcrafted folding machine of the past to today’s highly automated and digitally integrated folding machine.

‘We will continue to use our experience from 70 years of folding machines to expand our portfolio for industrial postpress with regard to digital integration,’ explained Michael Neugart, head of Heidelberg Postpress. ‘Foremost here will be the future requirements of customers, as demonstrated by the market success of the current Peak Performance Stahlfolder TH/KH 82-P folding machine.’
The Stahlfolder TH/KH 82-P machines introduced in 2016 are characterised by their patented solutions for ‘shingled folding’, and are aimed at industrialised print shops and specialist bookbinders. The Stahlfolder KH 82 has been available since drupa 2008. It appeals to customers looking for a versatile, flexible, easy to operate, reliable and compact folding machine. With over 400 installed machines, the KH 82 is the best-selling fully automatic combination folding machine on the market. To celebrate the anniversary, Heidelberg is offering a limited number of Stahlfolder KH 82 machines as an ‘anniversary edition’ on attractive terms with a special price and shorter delivery times. The company is also offering folding training tailored to its customers in order to increase their productivity.

Heidelberg also has big plans for the coming decades, ‘We will continue to develop our folding machines in accordance with our customers’ wishes and see big growth potential in postpress. The focus will be on even greater user friendliness, as well as networking and integration into the workflow, as a means to transparency and continuous monitoring,’ confirmed Michael Neugart.
When it comes to printing presses, the Push to Stop concept has already proven itself in numerous installations. The processes are digitalised and integrated, and the operator only intervenes when necessary. Heidelberg has now transferred this innovative philosophy to postpress. At the Commercial Day, which took place on 23 May at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site, visitors learned how several different signatures or jobs in the same format and with the same fold type can be produced on a shared pallet on a Stahlfolder KH 82-P. The signature change is detected on the sheet and all the measures necessary for the job change are automatically executed. The Stahlfolder KH 82-anniversary edition was also on display at the same event.