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Greater Productivity and Production Reliability - New Functions for Star Peripheral Systems from Heidelberg |
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| 07/03/2008 |
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- Integration of peripherals into the new Prinect Press Center via CANopen
- Transfer of job data for automatic presetting of the PowderStar AP 500 Duo
- Regular self-cleaning of the delivery thanks to CleanStar
- Unlimited access to peripherals via web-based Remote Service including eCall
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has been developing and producing its own Star peripheral systems for over ten years. From the dryer and powder extraction system to the static electricity eliminator, everything comes from a single source. Today, virtually all peripherals are controlled via the intelligent CANopen connection (CAN stands for Controller Area Network) and can be operated directly from the control station. It therefore does not matter to Speedmaster presses and operators whether devices are integrated into the press or are located in the cabinets.
Heidelberg showcased an array of new Star peripherals at drupa 2008, including the new CoatingStar Compact coating supply system, the new PowderStar AP 500 Duo powder application system, the revamped CleanStar process air extraction system, and the DryingMonitor measuring system.
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Prinect Press Center with Intellistart, wallscreen, and CANopen - the perfect combination
Operation of all Speedmaster presses was also switched to the new high-performance Prinect Press Center for drupa 2008. The new generation of control stations notably features the innovative process-oriented "Intellistart" operator guidance system, which boosts the productivity of a Speedmaster by up to eight percent.
By using all the relevant data for both the current and the next job, 70 percent fewer operations are needed to set up the press when changing jobs. The Prinect Press Center calculates the necessary process steps and performs them automatically following approval by the printer.
This results in a high level of production reliability for integrated Star peripherals. The Prinect Press Center is perfectly coordinated with the peripherals of the Star System. In concrete terms, this means:
- All peripherals can be operated directly from the touchscreen. Legwork involving other control panels is a thing of the past. The key settings are saved with the job and are available at the touch of a button for repeat jobs.
- When loading a new job, the printer can readjust the devices or adopt the presets for the substrate (e.g. for automatic air settings) or from a comparable repeat job (e.g. for setting the dryer).
- All warning and error messages are displayed on the Prinect Press Center and on other control panels (e.g. empty cartridge, empty powder container). The printer does not run the risk of missing a message.
- The wallscreen, available as an option, provides an overview of the complete process with all key parameters for the press and peripherals (e.g. activated/deactivated peripherals, setting values, ink levels, temperature displays), thereby supplying an excellent overview during production and at critical shift changeovers.
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Intelligent control for an optimized printing process
Heidelberg uses the intelligent CANopen link on Speedmaster presses to optimize the print process. All press data - and not just the "Impression on and off" signal - is available to peripherals thanks to their perfect integration. For example, grammage and print format presettings can be transferred to the new PowderStar AP 500 Duo powder application system unveiled at drupa 2008. Depending on grammage, the device varies the pressure of the support air - relatively high pressure for cardboard, lower pressure for thin substrates. This ensures highly efficient powder application - with up to 50 percent less powder in practice than previously - without any adverse effect on sheet travel.
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Another interesting function is offered by the CoatingStar and CoatingStar Compact coating supply units. Their unique annular piston pumps enable low-wear and pulsation-free operation and also report back to the control station every second - if the DryingMonitor package is installed - on how much coating has just been used and is being applied to the individual sheet. This helps in error analysis and also enables total coating consumption to be factored into job costing.
The revamped CleanStar process air extraction system is also integrated intelligently. Approximately every 4,000 sheets, the next regular print stop is used for self-cleaning the delivery. The blowers in the delivery and the extraction function are switched to maximum output, enabling even accumulations of powder to be extracted effectively. This significantly cuts the risk of lumps of powder falling onto the delivery pile during production.
Web-based Remote Service and spare parts catalog (MCS)
A key objective at Heidelberg is to ensure optimum press availability. Operators are therefore able to use the wallscreen option to display all spare parts for peripherals from the Heidelberg Machine Components Scout (MCS) on the Prinect Press Center high-performance control station. Missing parts are thus rapidly identified and ordered.
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Servicing of peripherals is also managed from a single source. CANopen enables Heidelberg engineers to use the Internet to access presses and most Star peripherals. Sensor values, configurations of electrical inputs and outputs, and a wealth of additional information is available to service engineers, enabling them to provide technical support just as effectively as if they were sitting directly in front of the device and not hundreds of miles away. Errors can therefore be rapidly identified and eliminated. eCall, the latest service offering from Heidelberg, also covers presses and Star peripherals. If an error unexpectedly occurs during production, the operator can automatically send an error message generated on the Prinect Press Center with a single click to Heidelberg headquarters. All service-related information is brought together here fully automatically (such as the name and telephone number of the operator, the serial number, press configuration, error codes, entries and comments from the last visit of a service engineer, etc.) and pre-evaluated using an intelligent diagnostic tool. The service engineer has everything on his desk within a few minutes and can call the printshop fully prepared and provide targeted support in troubleshooting, whether concerning the press or peripherals. Users no longer have to contact the Heidelberg call center by telephone, giving contact details and describing the problem. Automatic notification and intelligent preliminary diagnosis lead to time savings of up to 50 percent over conventional processes.
Image 1: Prinect Press Center dryers
Every Star peripheral system - such as the dryers here - can be controlled via the Prinect Press Center high-performance control station.
Image 2: PowderStar AP 500 Duo
The CANopen link enables the new PowderStar AP 500 Duo powder application system to use job data to optimize the press presetting. This results in up to 50 percent less powder consumption.
Image 3: CoatingStar
The reliable CoatingStar coating supply system can now also calculate the actual amount of coating used per sheet.
Image 4: DryStar dryer in the delivery
The DryStar Advanced software can save all the DryStar system settings.
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