At Ipex chairman Bernhard Schreier said the group would exit the "very competitive" scanner market, and at a press briefing this week, Dr Klaus Spiegel, head of the sheetfed solutions centre, said the firm was now in a controlled shutdown of operations. It will continue to support the products.

Prior to this weeks announcement, a sale of the business was being predicted by sources close to potential buyers.

US-Belgian company Andlinger, the holding company that set-up Global Graphics and financed the Polaroid Graphics Imaging spin off, was tipped as the purchaser.

However, even if there was purchaser demand Heidelberg had concerns at the service that would be provided by a potential buyer.