The firm has installed 110 printing units at UK customers since the show took place in May 2012, with most of the individual presses being Speedmaster XL 106 models.

Sales director Jim Todd said that the productivity being achieved with the XL and associated automation meant that one press could replace two or even three old presses. "Some of our customers believe the XL could easily achieve 75m impressions a year," he noted.

"And finishing technology now has the automation and performance to match XL presses," Todd added.
Heidelberg UK managing director Gerard Heanue said that after the huge industry shake-out the company now had 3,300 UK customers, compared with 10,000 in 2000.

He said results at the company have turned the corner: "Our market share is the highest it has ever been in B1 and B2, and also in finishing. Sales are up and our operating profit is the highest since 2000."

The B3 market has been squeezed in-between B2 and digital presses. Todd described it as "95% down in the last five years and now a very small market."

Todd said the B2-format Anicolor launched at Drupa was likely to begin shipping around the end of the year. "We are seeing a lot of interest in this press from packaging printers due to waste reduction. They can save a lot of sheets of very expensive material, resulting in six-figure savings."

Among the new perfectors in the UK is Heidelberg’s longest B1 press anywhere in the world, a 17-unit XL 106 at Chesapeake East Kilbride fitted with ten printing units, three coaters, four dryers and inline cold foiling.