The original Heidelberg Platen Press was first introduced back in 1914 and continued to be manufactured until 1984. It was a letterpress printing press designed and built by the Heidelberger Druckmaschinen company in Germany, the same company leading the world in digital printing innovations today.
Even though new versions of the original Heidelberg Platen Press are no longer being made, the machines are still widely used in both commercial and enthusiast letterpress printing. The old machines are able to be kept running thanks to distributors like YB Components who supply parts like the pulley for Heidelberg printing machines amongst many others.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen have moved with the times and now mostly serve the commercial printing market with modern offset and digital printing, but their original letterpress printer is still popular for bespoke printing jobs such as for the likes of wedding invitations and business cards.
History of the Original Heidelberg Platen Press
While the original version of the Heidelberg Platen Press was introduced in 1914, it didn’t start mass commercial manufacture until 1923. After entering the market, the press was quickly given the nickname of the ‘Windmill’ because of the shape and movement of the paper feed system it employed. Other nicknames from those early days included the ‘Super Heidelberg’ and the ‘Super Speed’ because of its rapid efficiency which was presumably quite impressive back in the day.
Over the years, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen have produced a variety of models of the original printing press, with the design constantly evolving despite little outward change. Most obvious changes between models involve aesthetic tweaks, such as changes to the colours of the controls.
How the Original Heidelberg Printing Machine Works
Two blades rotate from the paper feed, picking up a sheet of paper and placing it on the plate where the printing impression is made. The blades then move the sheet to the paper receiver where the paper is released and the blades continue circling around to continue the cycle. This twin-blade paper-moving mechanism is usually where the replacement pulley for Heidelberg printing machine comes in handy.
The printing impression is made by a bivalve shell mechanism, with the impression formed on the paper by the upper plate pressing down against the paper onto another plate that features the raised form of the print. Ink is then applied to the raised form of the print impression before the paper is rolled off and cycled away by the rotating blades which also line up the next piece of paper to be printed.
As suppliers of the pulley for Heidelberg printing machines, YB Components can ship such parts fast and free all over the UK and the rest of the world.
If you need a pulley for Heidelberg Printing Machines or any other industrial machinery parts, then contact YB Components who are the UK’s leading Heidelberg Printing Machine pulley suppliers.