Since April 2024, HEIDELBERG has been equipping its Stahlfolder folding machines with the new Perfect Grip folding rollers ex works. The previous soft and hard PU rings, which HEIDELBERG offered on the market under the ‘Extra Grip’ brand, are now only used at the express request of customers – and the number of requests is dropping ever lower. Until now, print shops and postpress companies have had to choose between soft PU and hard PU when investing in a folding machine or replacing folding rollers. The substrates to be processed and their surface structure determined whether the softer, more elastic material or the harder alternative was the best choice.
Perfect Grip from HEIDELBERG completely removes the need to choose between the two roller types. The new technology combines the specific advantages of soft PU and hard PU in a single roller. Its universal suitability is made possible by the chemical composition of the ring material on the one hand and a newly designed, optimized roller geometry on the other. Following intensive research and development, HEIDELBERG has not only succeeded in combining the qualities of soft and hard PU in a single roller with Perfect Grip, but in some respects has even managed to surpass them. This is underlined by the feedback from the market and the fact that the majority of customers now opt for Perfect Grip.
“We are seeing Perfect Grip perform in practice as we said it would and the new folding rollers are going down well with our customers,” says Stefan Dettke, Head of Markets & Products Commercial Folding at HEIDELBERG.
The launch of Perfect Grip has been extremely well received by the market. Since its introduction, the majority of Stahlfolder folding machines in the KH, TH, CH, and BH series ordered since April have been equipped with Perfect Grip folding rollers. Most customers who have had to replace folding rollers due to wear in the past five months have also chosen Perfect Grip over the previous soft or hard PU rings because they have been won over by the advantages of the new technology.
