Perfecting Perfection
Speedmaster XL 105-P - Top speeds of 15,000 sheets per hour, the
highest level of automation, no sacrifices on quality during
perfecting - it's there at last - the Speedmaster XL 105 with
perfecting device. The new machine then got the finishing touches
from various field tests, including at the Druckerei Engelhardt
& Bauer in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The rear side is scratched and smeared. Bernhard Konz examines the printed sheet very carefully and shows Rigo Fay the respective spots. Fay is the head of the German commercial print shop Engelhardt & Bauer (E&B) located in Karlsruhe. Konz works as technical director there. It is March 2007. On the prototype of the new 10-color Speedmaster XL 105-P that's undergoing field tests at E&B, a 4/4 color annual report is being printed. Fay and Konz consider the possible causes but can't explain the scratches and smeared spots right away. Up until now, the error hadn't appeared on a single individual print job on the brand new machine - even though the Karlsruhe team has been testing the perfecting press for four weeks already.
A few days later in Heidelberg: The experts from the printing press manufacturer reproduce the errors that showed up at E&B. With high speed cameras and state-of-the-art measurement techniques, the problem is quickly localized. The sheet travel in the area of the delivery's chain wheel shaft isn't working ideally - but only when the last printing unit isn't used for printing the sheet. Furthermore, the problem only occurs with a few printing stocks. Until the problem is solved, the printers from E&B make do by assigning the colors in such a way that the last printing unit always gets used for every job. After intensive tests by Heidelberg, everything is ready: Improved suction segment discs in the delivery now guide the sheet absolutely reliably and smear-free around the chain wheel shaft. Shortly thereafter the new discs are built into the 10-color perfecting press at E&B.
Fine-tuning with field tests
"Before it gets released to the market, a series machine has to be one hundred percent technically mature," explains Heidelberg Product Manager Uwe Hochmüller, who accompanied and advised E&B during the field test phase. "In order to achieve this ripeness for the market, comprehensive tests are absolutely necessary - especially considering our own demands on quality," emphasizes Hochmüller. The example with the suction segment disc in the prototype at E&B underscores the importance of real-life tests very well. "Each of our new developments goes through scores of tests in-house of course. But as comprehensive as these tests are, it's simply impossible to simulate every conceivable print job on every available printing stock in the laboratory, so to speak," explains Darko Zimbakov, group leader in development at Heidelberg and responsible for the project XL 105-P since June of 2007. "That would be a bit too time and cost-intensive." Generally, every new innovation by Heidelberg already has a "fitness check" lasting multiple weeks under its belt before it's even allowed to go to a field tester. To do so, Heidelberg simulates a print shop in-house and checks a broad range of ink, coating and printing stock combinations. The combination that made a change in the suction segment discs necessary, however, wasn't tried at Heidelberg - but therefore at E&B. This enabled the error to be discovered and solved before bringing it to market. "Our machines are already very mature when they're released for field tests. They can definitely already be used as full-fledged production machines. In cooperation with the customers, though, our machines then get the finishing touches," concludes Hochmüller.
To ensure that the printing presses are top-quality products right from the start, Heidelberg relies on the joint expertise of numerous specialists: Experts from mechanical engineering, development, software, simulation, measurement technology, test component manufacture, component testing, assembly, service, test print shops and product management all work together as a team to make the Speedmaster XL 105-P and its siblings technological masterpieces.
You can download the complete article on the top right-hand side.
The rear side is scratched and smeared. Bernhard Konz examines the printed sheet very carefully and shows Rigo Fay the respective spots. Fay is the head of the German commercial print shop Engelhardt & Bauer (E&B) located in Karlsruhe. Konz works as technical director there. It is March 2007. On the prototype of the new 10-color Speedmaster XL 105-P that's undergoing field tests at E&B, a 4/4 color annual report is being printed. Fay and Konz consider the possible causes but can't explain the scratches and smeared spots right away. Up until now, the error hadn't appeared on a single individual print job on the brand new machine - even though the Karlsruhe team has been testing the perfecting press for four weeks already.
A few days later in Heidelberg: The experts from the printing press manufacturer reproduce the errors that showed up at E&B. With high speed cameras and state-of-the-art measurement techniques, the problem is quickly localized. The sheet travel in the area of the delivery's chain wheel shaft isn't working ideally - but only when the last printing unit isn't used for printing the sheet. Furthermore, the problem only occurs with a few printing stocks. Until the problem is solved, the printers from E&B make do by assigning the colors in such a way that the last printing unit always gets used for every job. After intensive tests by Heidelberg, everything is ready: Improved suction segment discs in the delivery now guide the sheet absolutely reliably and smear-free around the chain wheel shaft. Shortly thereafter the new discs are built into the 10-color perfecting press at E&B.
Fine-tuning with field tests
"Before it gets released to the market, a series machine has to be one hundred percent technically mature," explains Heidelberg Product Manager Uwe Hochmüller, who accompanied and advised E&B during the field test phase. "In order to achieve this ripeness for the market, comprehensive tests are absolutely necessary - especially considering our own demands on quality," emphasizes Hochmüller. The example with the suction segment disc in the prototype at E&B underscores the importance of real-life tests very well. "Each of our new developments goes through scores of tests in-house of course. But as comprehensive as these tests are, it's simply impossible to simulate every conceivable print job on every available printing stock in the laboratory, so to speak," explains Darko Zimbakov, group leader in development at Heidelberg and responsible for the project XL 105-P since June of 2007. "That would be a bit too time and cost-intensive." Generally, every new innovation by Heidelberg already has a "fitness check" lasting multiple weeks under its belt before it's even allowed to go to a field tester. To do so, Heidelberg simulates a print shop in-house and checks a broad range of ink, coating and printing stock combinations. The combination that made a change in the suction segment discs necessary, however, wasn't tried at Heidelberg - but therefore at E&B. This enabled the error to be discovered and solved before bringing it to market. "Our machines are already very mature when they're released for field tests. They can definitely already be used as full-fledged production machines. In cooperation with the customers, though, our machines then get the finishing touches," concludes Hochmüller.
To ensure that the printing presses are top-quality products right from the start, Heidelberg relies on the joint expertise of numerous specialists: Experts from mechanical engineering, development, software, simulation, measurement technology, test component manufacture, component testing, assembly, service, test print shops and product management all work together as a team to make the Speedmaster XL 105-P and its siblings technological masterpieces.
You can download the complete article on the top right-hand side.
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