Getting hold of a Heidelberg GTO SRA3/B3 landscape format press around the time of its launch in the early 1970s was not easy. "The waiting list was so long it was like trying to purchase the latest Ferrari," says Matthew Rockley, Hedielberg marketing and product manager for Sheetfed B2 and B3.
Rockley has a particular soft spot for the GTO, as he was born in the same year the machine was launched - 1972 - and operated the press as an apprentice when he was 16.
The original GTO could be configured with the latest inline capabilities, including perforating and numbering. Heidelberg first released it as a single-colour version, but launched two-, four- and five-colour versions in the mid-1980s.
"The press has been alcohol-free from the start and can run with or without alcohol," says Rockley.
Flexible offering
The machine was suited to applications including business stationery, postcards, labels, documents, brochures, leaflets and forms. It could achieve a modest speed of 8,000 sheets per hour (sph) with a maximum sheet size of 350x520mm. The GTO also had laser slit ink ducts, which Heidelberg claims leads to faster makeready times. Oscillating forme rollers were standard on the machine, as well as double-sheet detectors. Optional extras included a coating device and an infrared dryer for UV work.
"It was going out to general commercial print firms; in fact, many still have one in their factory. It's a very flexible
little press," says Rockley.
The original machine was an SRA3 GTO 46, which was replaced by the B3 GTO 52 in 1980. In 1990, Heidelberg
introduced a stream feeder and by 2000 the machine was renamed the Printmaster GTO, to differentiate it from its successor, the Speedmaster 52, which was launched in 1995. The Printmaster GTO was given a makeover with new dampening options, the latest safety specifications and touchscreen on-press controls.
Unsurprisingly, competitors in the sector wanted to get in on the act, with Ryobi and Hamada bringing out rival machines. More recently, KBA muscled into the market with its Genius 52, launched in 2002.
In recent years, the GTO's younger brother, the Speedmaster 52, has proved more attractive to UK printers and, as a result, this year the five-colour GTO was discontinued.
"We found take-up was low for a five-colour machine," adds Rockley.
Current models in the range are now one-colour, two-colour, four-colour or a four-colour with Prinect, Heidelberg's CPC system, which allows remote control of inking and register.
New machines are sold with a one-year warranty and printers can opt for the manufacturer's 36-month service contract.
Bill McCudden who heads up of Heidelberg's Remarketed Equipment division says that most customers investing in secondhand GTOs come from markets such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. However, most used models sold by Heidelberg are to used machinery dealers, rather than to customers.
When buying a secondhand model, check the gears, cylinders and impression count. At the time of writing, a two-colour 1994 GTOZ-S 52, with an impression count of 35m, was listed on PressXchange by Multigraphic Equipamientos priced at £26,292.
SPECIFICATIONS
Speed 8,000sph
Max sheet size 360x520mm
Max print area 340x505mm
Gripper margin 8-10mm
Feeder height 400mm
Delivery height 493mm
Footprint 1.77x3.2m including walkway
Weight Four-colour press 2,720kg
Price
New GTO four-colour from £165,000
Used 2004 model around £100,000
What to look for
Cylinder condition
Abrasion on gears
