When the installation of a Speedmaster XL 106-8+LYYL with CustStar at the customer Grafiche Mercurio SPA in Italy started in February, it still seemed that the situation in connection with the COVID 19 pandemic was under control and very far away.
At the beginning of March, however, it became apparent that the spread of the virus was progressing so rapidly that the Italian government, in a first measure, blocked travel from region to region and set up the first "red areas" within Lombardy. As a result, the technicians who carried out the installation had to wait at home to see what happened next. An almost complete blockade took place. Only people in systemically important professions were allowed to work. Hotels and restaurants were closed. The fear of contagion became ever greater and more noticeable. At Heidelberg, too, colleagues were asked to work from home and from there to provide the necessary service for the print shops considered to be systemically relevant.
For GRAFICHE MERCURIO SPA, the interruption of the installation, which could not yet be foreseen, represented a serious risk for the company. With the support of all parties involved, a solution was found to continue the installation of the Speedmaster press. The work area was completely isolated, only the technicians from Heidelberg Italy had access. A kind of "company guesthouse" with changing room and sanitary facilities was also provided, as there were no overnight accommodation facilities available. It was possible to arrange with a local hotel to provide the colleagues with a dinner.
Despite the difficult conditions, the installation could now be completed. The team is proud and together with the customer happy to be able to put the machine into operation.
