Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Global Marketing & Communications

Gutenbergring
69168 Wiesloch
Germany

Hilde Weisser

Tel.: +49 6222 82 67971
Fax.:+49 6222 82 9967971

Hilde.Weisser@heidelberg.com
www.heidelberg.com

31 March 2016

Three in one sweep: “red dot design award” for Heidelberg innovations in digital and offset printing
		
•	Omnifire 250 4D printing system, Speedmaster XL 106 and XL 162 convinced the jury with innovation, quality and ergonomics
•	Heidelberg product design emphasizes digital future of the print media industry
•	Over 50 international design awards won to date

Customers' needs have always been the main concern of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). The company will therefore be presenting the digital future of the print media industry – the networking of all processes for the benefit of the customer – at drupa 2016 under the motto "Simply Smart". The focus is also reflected in the new, fresh product design with its clear geometric shapes and ease of operation in support of the operator. 
The design thus emphasizes the new machine generations that will be presented at drupa 2016. This approach now earned the renowned international “red dot design award” in the category of product design for three products at once. The jury was convinced by the degree of innovation, quality and ergonomics in the digital Omnifire 250 4D printing system as well as the sheetfed offset presses Speedmaster XL 106 and XL 162. The 41 members of the jury selected the top products from around 5,200 from 57 countries. The “red dot design award” is organized by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. (http://en.red-dot.org/). Heidelberg has won well over 50 international design awards since the 1990s.

"We developed a consistent design for all machines with the focus on digital networking and ease of operation," explains Bernd Reibl, Head of Industrial Design at Heidelberg. "The intention was to generate attention from afar and prove quality from up close. The design is a visualization of our machine's precision and quality." The pared-back shape of the silver portal on the delivery of the sheetfed offset presses is unobtrusive and directs the eye of both operator and customer to the finished print product during print approval. The silver Prinect line at the galleries stands for digital networking and symbolizes drive, speed and flow of data.

Black glass is the design element used on the digital presses to give them a modern and individual look. All machines from Heidelberg are based on the same operating philosophy which makes it easy for the user to switch between offset and digital printing. 
Heidelberg deploys its own design experts to develop the product design in close cooperation with the customer.

Image 1: The Heidelberg Omnifire 250 prints on various three-dimensional objects such as balls, drinking bottles or mobile phone sleeves with digital inkjet technology and up to five colors. Flexible and personalized applications can thus be realized using high-precision robotics. The large black glass surfaces allude to the topic of digitization and also protect the operator, all the while giving a safe view of the printing process.

Image 2: The new Heidelberg product design was first transferred to the large format Speedmaster XL 162 press. Clean geometric shapes define the machine and its work areas. Uniform design elements are used across all product series. The silver line of the gallery, for example, stands for networking and workflow across all processes, from prepress to postpress. The portal on the delivery directs the eye to the finished print product.

Image 3: Heidelberg opts for an integrated machine design. The technology therefore adapts to the work of the printer and the innovations and high performance of the new generation of offset machines such as the Speedmaster XL 106 support its ease of operation. 

Image material as well as further information about the company can be found in the Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG press portal at www.heidelberg.com. 

For more information: 
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG

Hilde Weisser
Phone: +49 6222 82 67971
Fax.: +49 6222 82 9967971
E-mail Hilde.Weisser@heidelberg.com