The Speedmaster XL 162 sheetfed press and the Prinect Press Center press control station from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) have been selected to receive the prestigious Good Design Award. Both products are based on the innovative New_Arc design developed by Heidelberg with meticulously planned ergonomics and intuitive operation for enhanced productivity.

The Good Design Award rewards new, advanced, and innovative product concepts. Organized by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in collaboration with the European Centre for Architecture, Art Design and Urban Planning, it is the longest standing award of its kind and enjoys global recognition. An international panel of judges in New York and Los Angeles selected 500 products from 34 countries from the hundreds of submissions. The Speedmaster XL 162 and the Prinect Press Center were successful in the "Industry" category thanks to their impressive overall design concept.

New_Arc design based on technical emotion and intuitive operation
The Speedmaster XL 162 is a completely new, large-format sheetfed press for print format 7b (1,210 x 1,620 millimeters/47.64 x 63.78 inches) which is primarily aimed at commercial, publishing, and industrial packaging printers. It wins over customers with its fully automated equipment and excellent ergonomics. For the benefit of the customers, good industrial design promotes functionality, performance, economy of operation and ease of use, despite the enormous scale. The entire press is operated from the Prinect Press Center and the large, integrated wallscreen provides press operators with an unprecedented overview of all process parameters. The innovative process-oriented "Intellistart" operator guidance system boosts the productivity of all Heidelberg sheetfed offset presses in the Speedmaster range.

Both products with their innovative New_Arc design were unveiled at industry trade fair drupa 2008. "Previously, both the brand and the product focused on a key aspect of machine operation such as the printing unit. With the New_Arc design, we have dared to widen our horizons to include trend statements, environments, and our corporate identity," explains Eckhard Köbler, Head of Heidelberg Industrial Design. The geometric structure and large surfaces with striking elements are key features of the product design. The feeder and delivery portals on the Speedmaster XL 162 draw their inspiration from European and Asian urban environments and symbolize an input-output concept. The Prinect Press Center combines with the press delivery to form the end of the printing process and represents the focal point of the press control system and quality assessment.

A team of ten works in the Industrial Design department at Heidelberg, which is a regular recipient of international design awards. Since the end of 2007, Heidelberg Industrial Design services have also been available to outside companies. For further details, please go to www.design.heidelberg.com.