The manufacturer said the new Speedmaster Drupa 2020 generation will go into production “with almost all model series” as early as April this year.

Various commercial and packaging models from the new range will be shown in public for the first time simultaneously at both the Düsseldorf show and at Heidelberg’s Wiesloch site, from 16-26 June. Field testing of the new models is already taking place at some customer sites.

The new Speedmaster generation comprises all of Heidelberg’s “machines for peak performance”, such as the XL 75 and the XL 106. All of the new models, in small, medium and large formats, will be equipped as standard with the new Push to Stop functionalities and a cloud connection.

The company said this “will enable all customer groups to enjoy the ever-increasing range of cloud-based software solutions and also benefit from future developments”.

“These integrated measures will enable our customers to take the next step at Drupa 2020 towards much higher productivity and process reliability,” said Heidelberg head of sheetfed product management Rainer Wolf.

“Our forecast at Drupa 2016 that the industry would double its productivity by 2026 is on its way to becoming a reality, and Push to Stop is the key to this.

“We will present all kinds of technical innovations at Drupa 2020 to solve our customers’ concrete problems and close gaps in the automation chain. Interesting innovations in the area of intelligent assistance systems and artificial intelligence will be an impressive display of what is already possible today and where development will lead in the coming years.”

Also new from Heidelberg at Drupa, and available as an additional option for Speedmaster users, will be fully automatic printing plate logistics. Here, printing plates are provided fully automatically in the correct plate changing shaft and the used plates are removed.

The manufacturer said that as well as consistently achieving high productivity with short runs, this functionality reduces the operator’s workload and increases process reliability as damage caused by handling of the plates is systematically minimised. This increases the reliability of plate changes and reduces the risk of scratches on the plate causing paper waste.

Heidelberg will be exhibiting at Drupa under the slogan 'Unfold your Potential', and will present the next stage of its Smart Print Shop concept, which it first rolled out at Drupa 2016.

“In addition to increasing the output of the printing press itself, software-supported applications, intelligent user guidance, and autonomous processes as part of an integrated solution system – or as we say, Smart Print Shop – will continue to grow in importance in terms of the competitiveness of the print shop,” said Heidelberg chief digital officer Ulrich Hermann.

“With new services like Heidelberg Subscription we not only ensure the optimal technology, but also look after our customers’ available productivity. This delivers planning certainty and gives print shops the freedom they need to devote more effort to cultivating their market and innovating their offering.”