Heidelberg Druck Puts Touch-Free Printing on Stage as Pharma Logistics Bet Takes Shape
Published on 10/07/2026 at 13:50 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Heidelberg Druckmaschinen used the second day of its SHIFT 2026 customer event at the Print Media Center in Wiesloch-Walldorf to give the public its first live look at Prinect Touch Free, a workflow system designed to route print jobs through production without anyone touching them. The two-day gathering, which opened Tuesday in Heidelberg, centers on process digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence and hybrid manufacturing.
The demonstration caps a stretch in which the press maker has paired software rollouts with a push into packaging and pharmaceutical work that sits well outside its traditional offset heartland.
A Turkish printer rewires its floor
Among the clearest examples of that strategy in action is Sade Ofset Packaging & Label. The Turkish specialist in packaging and label printing will run its prepress, press room and production planning through the Prinect Production platform, while swapping out two older machines for a Speedmaster CX 104 sheetfed offset press. Neither side disclosed what the equipment investment cost.
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Digital installations are advancing too. Klampfer Druck has brought a Jetfire 50 digital printing system into service, a line that Heidelberg says is drawing growing interest from print service providers across Eastern European markets. The Austrian printer is using the machine to strengthen its market position. Heidelberg's Gallus Group subsidiary, meanwhile, confirmed roughly two weeks ago that it will return to the LOUPE India 2026 trade fair.
Pharma partnership targets the whole chain
Where Heidelberg is placing a longer-term wager is in pharmaceuticals. A strategic partnership struck on September 30 with the pfenning group aims to deliver integrated end-to-end solutions for pharmaceutical packaging production, linking printing and logistics steps into one continuous flow. Pfenning contributes expertise in serialization, product traceability and regulatory-compliant logistics processes. The companies declined to put a figure on the deal.
Shares stay subdued ahead of November numbers
Equity investors have yet to reward the initiatives. The stock changed hands at EUR 1.40 on Wednesday, a modest 0.6% decline on the day, leaving the veteran mechanical engineering group with a market capitalization of EUR 434.57 million. Since the start of the year, the shares are down 31%.
Hard evidence on how the business is actually performing will arrive next month. Heidelberg Druckmaschinen is scheduled to publish figures for the second quarter and the full first half of its 2026/2027 fiscal year on November 12.
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