(August 04, 2008) Following in the footsteps of prepress and press, all current generations of electronic postpress equipment have also been covered by Heidelberg Remote Service since drupa 2008. Heidelberg thus provides Internet-based services for all value-added operations in the print shop. This makes it the only supplier in the print media industry offering solutions that can be fully maintained online.

By the end of 2008, online remote diagnosis of postpress equipment will be supported for the latest generations of the Stahlfolder, Stitchmaster, Eurobind, Dymatrix and Diana product families from Heidelberg, plus POLAR brand machines.

In addition, the online Remote Service module eCall will also be phased in for prepress and postpress from 2009. eCall is already being used for presses. A detailed error report is generated within a minute of a malfunction occurring. Upon confirmation of the user, the service organization can then begin investigating the problem immediately. Faults can thus be remedied far faster and more efficiently.

eCall minimizes interfaces and thereby further increases machine availability. If a fault occurs, the press automatically issues an error report within a minute. This contains all the data needed to eliminate the problem plus an initial error diagnosis and the user’s contact details. Upon request, the operator receives a callback promptly with a suggestion for remedying the problem. "eCall cuts response times by up to 50 percent compared with the telephone error message in the call center," reports Michael Pfeffer, Head of the Global Expert Network/Remote Services at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. "We are planning to phase in the eCall function beginning in 2009, starting first with prepress and then moving on to postpress."

Heidelberg has been offering the Remote Service option for prepress, press and saddlestitchers since drupa 2004. Remote diagnosis enables a fast and cost-effective response to downtimes and can even prevent these altogether through regular Remote Service inspections. The result is high machine availability round the clock and thus higher productivity. "Customer feedback at drupa has shown that our Remote Service product meets the needs of the market for fast and cost-effective service solutions for all areas of production," states Pfeffer.