Speedmaster SM 102: "Continual Leaps in Productivity"
It's the same everywhere, you say. Marketing staff only ever
want one thing - to sell. That's what you think! In all honesty
though, we do too. That's why Heidelberg product manager Sebastian
Schwarz wasn't allowed to express his own opinion on the
Speedmaster SM 102 but rather only report what customers have been
up to with it.
Mr. Schwarz, could you tell us which customer last bought a Speedmaster SM 102?
Schwarz: That was a week ago. A customer from the UK, from Manchester to be precise. A print shop with around 120 employees which produces all kinds of commercial products. They had installed a SM 102-10-P in January and decided on a further SM 102-12-P just last week.
Why did the customer decide on a SM 102?
Schwarz: The main reason was because of the large spectrum of printing stock that can be processed on the Speedmaster SM 102. The customer had high demands, because they print a very wide range of printing stocks - from lightweight paper with 65 gsm up to cardboard with 400 gsm. They also have frequent job changes. With a printing speed of around 12,000 sheets per hour in perfecting, the SM 102 passed the test and far exceeded the customer's expectations.
Mr. Schwarz, could you tell us which customer last bought a Speedmaster SM 102?
Schwarz: That was a week ago. A customer from the UK, from Manchester to be precise. A print shop with around 120 employees which produces all kinds of commercial products. They had installed a SM 102-10-P in January and decided on a further SM 102-12-P just last week.
Why did the customer decide on a SM 102?
Schwarz: The main reason was because of the large spectrum of printing stock that can be processed on the Speedmaster SM 102. The customer had high demands, because they print a very wide range of printing stocks - from lightweight paper with 65 gsm up to cardboard with 400 gsm. They also have frequent job changes. With a printing speed of around 12,000 sheets per hour in perfecting, the SM 102 passed the test and far exceeded the customer's expectations.
The customer had high demands in this respect: They print the most varied types of printing stock - from lightweight paper up to cardboard with 400 gsm.
Which details about the SM 102 were particularly impressive?
Schwarz: The customer ran printing tests with presses from various manufacturers. In comparison to the other presses, the SM 102 proved to be the winner regarding the ease with which the result was achieved. To operate extensive aspects of the machine, the customer only had to enter a few pieces of information on the touch screen of the press' control console - our Prinect CP2000 Center. This is because many functions, such as the three sheet breaks for example, can be preset according to format as well as centrally adjusted. The Prinect CP2000 Center works like a "digital control center": It stores the individually adjusted settings for each job and controls the individual machine components. This comfort reduces make-ready times significantly - which is exactly what the customer values.
Which is the most sold configuration of a SM 102 and why?
Schwarz: That's hard to say, because we cover everything from two to twelve-color with the SM 102. There is an emphasis on 2c, 4c, 8c and 10c, however. Many customers with a Speedmaster SM 102-2 perfecting press print 1/1 color jobs such as package inserts, for example. Most of the eight and ten-color models run four over four or five over five in perfecting.
When do customers prefer a perfecting press?
Schwarz: The decision is based in part on the percentage of suitable perfecting jobs in the customer's range of jobs. For example, a commercial printer who mainly has 2/2 orders, is very well off with a SM 102-4 with perfecting device. Other basic factors such as delivery times also play an important role. Some deadlines simply don't allow time for a second pass, so that only a perfecting press comes into consideration - in other words - you will allow me this one personal comment - what we at Heidelberg term "One Pass Productivity."
Schwarz: The customer ran printing tests with presses from various manufacturers. In comparison to the other presses, the SM 102 proved to be the winner regarding the ease with which the result was achieved. To operate extensive aspects of the machine, the customer only had to enter a few pieces of information on the touch screen of the press' control console - our Prinect CP2000 Center. This is because many functions, such as the three sheet breaks for example, can be preset according to format as well as centrally adjusted. The Prinect CP2000 Center works like a "digital control center": It stores the individually adjusted settings for each job and controls the individual machine components. This comfort reduces make-ready times significantly - which is exactly what the customer values.
Which is the most sold configuration of a SM 102 and why?
Schwarz: That's hard to say, because we cover everything from two to twelve-color with the SM 102. There is an emphasis on 2c, 4c, 8c and 10c, however. Many customers with a Speedmaster SM 102-2 perfecting press print 1/1 color jobs such as package inserts, for example. Most of the eight and ten-color models run four over four or five over five in perfecting.
When do customers prefer a perfecting press?
Schwarz: The decision is based in part on the percentage of suitable perfecting jobs in the customer's range of jobs. For example, a commercial printer who mainly has 2/2 orders, is very well off with a SM 102-4 with perfecting device. Other basic factors such as delivery times also play an important role. Some deadlines simply don't allow time for a second pass, so that only a perfecting press comes into consideration - in other words - you will allow me this one personal comment - what we at Heidelberg term "One Pass Productivity."
The SM 102 proved to be the winner regarding the ease with which the result was achieved.
Which feature is most underestimated by customers?
Schwarz: Points like ergonomics, consistent operating philosophy or the integration of the presses into the production workflow are certainly among them. Often customers realize afterwards that these aren't decorative accessory or simply a gimmick - namely once their productivity has increased, which of course means financial advantages - in other words, money saved.
The Speedmaster SM 102 is an extremely robust and therefore long-lasting machine. Don't you therefore gradually run out of customers?
Schwarz: Not at all! Because we constantly develop the Speedmaster SM 102 further. Many of our customers upgrade in order to profit from the ongoing leaps in productivity. They realize new potentials, for example, by printing even faster or reducing the time, effort and money needed for operation. The demand is there. Moreover, we, as well as our customers, are very proud of the longevity of our machines.
Schwarz: Points like ergonomics, consistent operating philosophy or the integration of the presses into the production workflow are certainly among them. Often customers realize afterwards that these aren't decorative accessory or simply a gimmick - namely once their productivity has increased, which of course means financial advantages - in other words, money saved.
The Speedmaster SM 102 is an extremely robust and therefore long-lasting machine. Don't you therefore gradually run out of customers?
Schwarz: Not at all! Because we constantly develop the Speedmaster SM 102 further. Many of our customers upgrade in order to profit from the ongoing leaps in productivity. They realize new potentials, for example, by printing even faster or reducing the time, effort and money needed for operation. The demand is there. Moreover, we, as well as our customers, are very proud of the longevity of our machines.
Ergonomics and an integrated operation philosophy are often underestimated…
Although they mean financial gains and increased productivity.
And now the advantages at a glance:
• CutStar: up to 15 percent lower paper costs
• Preset Plus Feeder and Delivery: perfect processing of print stock at every printing speed
• TransferJacket: ink repellent layer on transfer cylinder cuts washup time roughly in half.
• Perfecting Device: the three cylinders ensure an absolutely reliable and register-accurate sheet guide.
• PerfectJacket: nearly identical print quality in perfecting.
• Sheet Delivery: even at top speeds printed sheets are added to the pile without scratches or marks.
• Prinect CP2000 Center: increases the ease of operation and reduces make-ready times - with continually high printing quality.
Raffle
Write and tell us which feature you consider to be the most important. We will raffle off a Speedmaster T-shirt to a lucky participant.
• CutStar: up to 15 percent lower paper costs
• Preset Plus Feeder and Delivery: perfect processing of print stock at every printing speed
• TransferJacket: ink repellent layer on transfer cylinder cuts washup time roughly in half.
• Perfecting Device: the three cylinders ensure an absolutely reliable and register-accurate sheet guide.
• PerfectJacket: nearly identical print quality in perfecting.
• Sheet Delivery: even at top speeds printed sheets are added to the pile without scratches or marks.
• Prinect CP2000 Center: increases the ease of operation and reduces make-ready times - with continually high printing quality.
Raffle
Write and tell us which feature you consider to be the most important. We will raffle off a Speedmaster T-shirt to a lucky participant.
Turn to Perfecting ...
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