The CX 75 and the industrial-level XL 75 will both be relaunched in September, with a new ‘gallery concept’ carried over from the Speedmaster XL 106, allowing operators to move more efficiently across the presses’ gantries and eliminate fatigue, taking advantage of the larger working space between units.

Senior product manager Frank Süsser said: “Ergonomic operation on a press is very important to keep the workplace at the printing press attractive. Furthermore, it is essential to avoid the operator getting tired too quickly, especially if many job changes are required during a shift.

“The CX 75 is ideal for commercial customers who need a flexible press which can handle a wide range of different substrates. It also offers the chance to enter into new markets like packaging. It is an ideal machine to work in single- or two-shift operations.

“The XL 75 is a highly automated press for commercial, packaging and special printers who require a much higher output and a fully automated production. With Push to Stop and autonomous printing, the press can handle a lot of job changes per shift.”

Both machines will still run on their original specifications: four- to six-colour plus coater with 15,000sph maximum speed for the CX 75 and up to 14 units for printing and coating with 15,000sph standard and 18,000sph optional maximum speeds for the XL 75.

The ergonomics of the new designs are intended to improve the ease and efficiency with which operators can fulfil tasks such as staging plates, adding ink, changing washup cloths and rubber blankets, or carrying out maintenance.

Heidelberg is presenting the redesigns as the first taste of its showing at next year's Drupa, though the presses will make their show debut at Pack Print, Thailand, in September ahead of a Heidelberg customer event in Germany the following month. Theiler Druck in Wollerau, Switzerland has already installed the first of the new XL 75s.

According to Süsser, the as-yet-unannounced pricing for the new versions of the CX 75 and XL 75 will not be “dramatically different” from their predecessors.